Divergence
by The Second Coming
Summary: AU: As a slow but steady understanding begins to grow between two unlikely people, it becomes more and more apparent that the rest of the world will never understand. A companion to "Perception".
1. Variance

**Title:** Divergence

**Rating:** M

**Warnings:** I do have plans to stick some mild smut somewhere in here, so if that offends you, you're forewarned. It'll probably be fairly tame — I'm not overly keen on graphic anything, really, and I'm certainly not brave enough to write it. And a long author's note, which you're welcome to skip if it bores you.

**Notes: **This is a sequel of sorts to _Perception_. It's not completely necessary to read _Perception_ first, but you might want to. I'd originally planned for _Perception _to be a one-shot (it was written for a contest on LJ), however the idea took hold and I came up with a three-chapter story arc for it. I wrote that, and figured I wad done with it, except the nagging plot for a mild lemon that was niggling the back of my brain. So, I figured, fine, I'll write the lemon as a companion piece (I'd already rated _Perception _T, and didn't want to scare anyone off by changing the rating halfway through). _Then_ at about 2am this morning _this_ idea came to me.

The idea of Kagome writing an essay about all this was way too good to pass up. So here I am. Again.

I make no promises for this story — I don't know how long it will be (if I say anything it's bound to change anyway), and I don't know if I'll be able to update continually. But please read, and enjoy. Consider this the companion piece (look! It's multi-chaptered…. isn't that nice?), and the promised smut will be somewhere within this. I will let you know which chapter it's in, so you can skip it if you want and still read the rest of the story.

… That was extremely long. Please let me know what you think — I really appreciate good feedback (especially on a topic as provocative as this one), so it would be nice to know what you think of this.

- The Second Coming.

A fog cannot be dispelled by a fan.

--

_**Part I: Variance**_

--

_Opinions are some of the most lethal weapons at the disposal of the human race. There is an old adage, "sticks and stone may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." This is wrong. When a society forms one general opinion, the weight that is carried by that thought is astronomical. Opinions or beliefs can cause both the raise of a tyrant, and the fall of one._

_Opinions, like all things, serve their own purpose. They are neither good, nor bad, by nature. They become those things depending on how they are used. So the unwitting use of them remains a misuse. To follow someone else's opinion without taking the time to truly form your own is evil. To agree based upon your own conclusions is not. _

_Opinions, like the people who form them, are unique, and potentially dangerous. Each person has the potential to become a danger. It is the line between potential and reality that makes all the difference._

_-- _

She waited, butterflies flittering madly in her stomach, as the teacher began to hand back essays. Anxiously she began to bite her lip, and she leaned forward as the teacher passed by her desk. With what seemed like unnecessary and agonising slowness the essays were passed back to the class — returned to everyone but her.

With a brisk click of her heels the teacher turned and stalked past her desk. "Higurashi-san, see me after class," she said as she passed. With a small groan, Kagome sunk down as low as she could in her desk, and wondered why she'd bothered to write the stupid essay in the first place.

"Kagome," Ayumi hissed from the desk behind her. "_Kagome_." Gritting her teeth, and clenching her pencil so tightly it was in serious danger of snapping, Kagome tried to ignore her.

_Thump_. Ayumi had kicked the desk. "_Kagome_," she hissed again. Cursing her friend for her obvious obtuseness, she pulled a sheet of paper towards her and scribbled 'what?' at the top of it. With the well practised finesse that only a high-school student could pull off, she passed the note back.

It had barely touched Ayumi's desk before it landed back in Kagome's lap.

'You did the essay, right?'

Gritting her teeth she scribbled 'yes' underneath Ayumi's writing, putting rather more pressure into the word than was strictly necessary. Within moments the note had been passed back to her lap, with an additional line of Ayumi's neat handwriting at the bottom.

'Why do you think Moushin-sensei needs to talk to you?'

As quietly as she could Kagome crumpled the note into a small ball and stuffed it in her bag. She wished again that she'd never written the stupid essay.

After about five minutes Ayumi started kicking the back of her chair again.

When the bell finally rang, Kagome packed up her things with the air of someone going to their own execution, and steadfastly ignored her friend's persistent questions. Slowly she walked between the desks, and stopped right in front of her teacher's desk. She stood there, staring at her feet, until the teacher tossed her friends out of the room.

"Have a seat."

Kagome sat.

"Is everything all-right with you, Higurashi-san? Is there anything you want to talk about?"

_No. _She swallowed, the action taking more effort than she expected in her unusually dry throat. "Why do you ask?"

Her teacher's eyes narrowed, and her lips tightened into a thin line. "I think you know."

"Did I not complete the assignment satisfactorily?" Kagome asked flatly. _Stupid assignment. Stupid essay. Stupid school…_

"I asked you for a thousand word essay focusing on an aspect of today's society, and suggesting ways that a part of our current society might be improved, and _this_," she picked up Kagome's essay off her desk and waved it at her, "is what you gave me." She flipped the essay open to the second page, and began to read. "The generalisation and stereotyping of demons as monsters is both harmful and limiting to our society. Just as we realise that because one person might be bad, our entire race is not at fault, so should we understand that demons are not a single entity, and have thoughts, wills and emotions of their own."

Her teacher tossed the essay down on the desk, it skittered madly across the surface and came to a stop in front of Kagome.

"What do you call that?" she asked tightly.

"An essay."

"Do you think this is _funny_, Higurashi-san? Is this some sort of a joke?"

"No." Kagome sighed and picked up the essay. "If this is unacceptable, then may I redo it?" She stood up and put the essay in her bag.

"Sit down," her teacher snapped. "Why did you write that?"

"I thought," Kagome said flatly, "that I was fulfilling the requirements that you set down —"

"— _that_ has nothing to do with my requirements!" her teacher said suddenly, standing up and slapping her hands down on the desk. "Why would you write such a thing, Higurashi-san?"

Kagome stared at her feet. There was a small smudge of dirt on her left shoe, which she tried to discreetly rub off with her right foot.

"Are you even listening to me?" Her teacher was practically vibrating with anger now.

_Stupid assignment. Stupid essay. Stupid school…_

"I'm recommending that you go for counselling. You will redo this assignment. And if I find one _hint_ of - of _this_," she gestured vaguely at Kagome's bag. "I will give you a zero."

"Yes, Moushin-sensei."

Her teacher stood there, staring at her for a moment, her mouth open as if she were about to say something.

"Is there anything else?" Kagome asked.

Her mouth closed with an audible 'clack'. "No."

"Thank-you, sensei."

As soon as she was outside the classroom door she started running.

--

_When we leave our houses for the day we lock them. When we park our cars at work, we lock them. This is common sense. But it is not the fear of demons or monsters that tells us to lock away our possessions to prevent their theft, but a fear of our own 'kind'. It is not the fear of demons that forces us to teach our children about the dangers of drugs that may be slipped into their drinks, nor of people who would sit behind the wheel of a car while drunk. These, like the dangers that demons present, are very real. _

_Yet those who commit these crimes are still human. _

--

It was foolish thing to have done. She knew it. She'd known it ever since she'd handed it in two weeks ago. Still, with such an open ended topic the idea had been what had first popped into her mind, and it had refused to leave.

She wanted so badly for someone else to understand it, and this had finally seemed like an opportunity to convey something of what she was feeling inside.

She should have known that her ideas were unacceptable.

_Opinions are some of the most lethal weapons at the disposal of the human race. _

_Sticks and stones…_

She tossed the essay across the room in frustration, and watched as it hit the wall with a thud, and sunk to the floor. The room blurred, and she wiped her cheeks, startled to find that her hand was wet.

She should have known this would be what would would happen.

So why did it have to hurt so much?

--

_The assumption that humans are better than all other creatures has been around as far back as history allows us to go. We pride ourselves on those things which set us apart form the so-called 'lower creatures', rational thought, emotion, speech. We spend our time advancing our own species' knowledge through science and art, seeking a greater understanding that lurks permanently just beyond our grasp. It has become second nature to overlook the fact that taiyoukai are capable of those things which we prize so highly, and consider exclusive. _

--

She slipped out of the house, wearing nothing but her favourite pair of fuzzy pyjamas, and crept across the courtyard. Her breath misted in the cool night air, and she shivered as the cold earth chilled her feet.

She stopped at the foot of the Goshinboku and rolled her essay into a small scroll. Carefully she tucked the scroll into a small knot in the tree and stepped back.

It was nearly invisible — but she knew he'd find it.

Rubbing her fingers together for warmth, she took one last look, and then turned and hurried back inside to warm her feet. Next time she'd have to remember to wear shoes.

--

_It is not an unreasonable fear — demons are easily capable of killing a human. I am not suggesting that demons be welcomed with open arms. I submit though, that not all demons deserve to be typecast. That they, like us, have their own thoughts, emotions and opinions; and that these things rule their actions. I believe that some are capable, just like us, of rational thought, and thus of understanding. If we do not actively lump them all together and stick a single label on them, perhaps they will do the same. _

--

He was standing silently in his customary position under the Goshinboku when she got back from taking the garbage out, one Saturday afternoon, nearly a week later. He raised one hand, and she saw that he was holding her rolled up essay in it.

"An interesting topic," he said mildly.

"It was stupid idea," she said flatly, turning away to look at the doors of the well house. She could still feel his gaze on her.

"Yes," he said quietly. "However it was not the idea within the essay that was stupid, but the way in which you presented it, and the people you presented it to. You must learn to adapt based on your situation, or you will always lose."

"Know your enemy?" she said sardonically, her lip curling up slightly in wry amusement.

"Yes."

"I don't want to have any enemies. I don't like fighting."

"It is necessary."

_Survival of the fittest. _"Perhaps."

Once again she felt his gaze on her. He gave her a scrutinising look, a slight frown marring his usually placid features. "You must not allow your association with me to cloud your judgement," he said finally. "There will never be peace between demons and humans. We are your natural predators. It is unwise to befriend your dinner."

She grimaced at that, unsure if she wanted to laugh or gag. "Do you — do you eat people?"

She nearly laughed at his expression. His lip curled up slightly, looking suddenly as if he had smelled something awful, in a perfect imitation of the aristocratic sneer. "No," he said, as if the very idea offended him. She barely refrained from pointing out the fact that he had brought the topic up in the first place.

"Oh," she said, a smile pulling at the corners of her mouth.

"But I am not adverse to killing them if they get in my way."

Her stomach plummeted to her feet, and she suddenly felt ill. "Oh," she said again. "Um…"

"Why do you not fear me?" he asked quietly, the cadence of his voice sending shivers up and down her spine.

She wasn't even sure if she didn't fear him. "I don't know," she said. "I don't want to."

Casually he tossed the essay at her feet, and turned around to leave.

"Should I?" she called out desperately after him. He paused, but didn't turn around. He paused long enough that she was almost sure that he wasn't going to respond. Finally, without turning around, he said, "I don't know."

And then he was gone. Her essay was slowly beginning to uncurl at her feet. She picked it up, and unrolled it, wiping bits of tree bark off of it. In the top right-hand corner was a small hand-written message, the neat writing clearly not her teacher's.

"A fog cannot be dispelled by a fan."

She tore the essay into pieces and scattered them in the wind.

--

_In conclusion, I believe that learning to understand these beings as individuals, and recognising them for their differences, will allow us to better ourselves as a species. _

_Higurashi Kagome, Second Year Civics. _

--

**A/N: **I'm sorry to stick another one of these in, but just a few notes on the Japanese language and culture.

Firstly _a fog cannot be dispelled by a fan_, is a Japanese proverb, and thus it is not my own.

Secondly hopefully I've used the honorifics correctly. I did do research, but since I don't speak Japanse (or know anyone who does), I had to rely on what I could glean from the internet. So if any of it isn't correct, please let me know and I'll fix it.

Thirdly the name Moushin was chosen for the teacher because it (according to an online dictionary I found… Yes, I'm well aware that it's a shady way of doing things), means 'blind belief, or acceptance'. I thought it was appropriate. If however, it's a big no-no when it comes to naming people in Japanese, please let me know, and again I'll fix it.

Thanks.


	2. Incongruity

**A/N:** This is un-betaed, and I've got a headache (and am thus medicated), so I was writing 'under the influence' (of advil XD). But if this turns out a little wonky in terms of spelling and grammar just drop me a note and I'll go through and fix it when I can see straight again.

… I know I should just wait, but frankly, I rather like the feeling of accomplishment I get from finishing and posting things, and I figured I could use a lift. Selfish? Yes. Do I care? No.

--

_**Part II: Incongruity **_

_--_

_井の中の蛙大海を知らず。_

_I no naka no kaeru taikai o shirazu._

_A frog in a well does not know the great sea._

_-Japanese proverb. _

--

To say that her father had not been pleased when he received a phone call from Kagome's school informing him that his daughter had been recommended for counselling and would be seeing the school's counsellor once a week unless a suitable alternative was found, would be a bit of an understatement.

When she had walked through the door her father's first words to her had been "your mother got an interesting phone call today." Kagome had known that it was going to be a lousy evening immediately. In a way, it was fitting. The lousy evening went with the lousy morning. And the lousy afternoon. And the lousy week. And the lousy year.

She wished things weren't so lousy once in a while. A familiar image flickered in the corner of her mind; a figure with silver hair, golden eyes and a crescent moon on his forehead. No, things weren't lousy when he was around. They were many things: terrifying, exhilarating, confusing came to mind, but not lousy.

"Do you have anything to say for yourself?" her father had demanded loudly.

"No."

She'd skulked up to her room and stayed there until dinner.

Dinner was awful.

"I got a call from Kagome's school today," her mother had said, while setting bowls of rice down on the table, causing her father to look at her pointedly, and her brother to sit up with avid interest.

"Kagome's in trouble?"

She tried to inconspicuously kick Souta under the table.

"You could say that," her father said, pouring tea furiously. Kagome pulled her hands away from the table, terrified that if they stayed within a foot wide radius of the hot tea they'd be burnt off. As it was there seemed to be more tea on the table than in the cup.

"Uh…" her grandfather said dazedly, pointing at the table. "You're spilling it."

"Dear," her mother added nervously. "Watch the tea, it's hot."

"Kagome's teacher," her father ground out, slamming the teapot down on the table causing the small amount of tea that had managed to make it into her up to slosh out over the side. "Thinks that Kagome ought to see a counsellor."

"_Really_?" Souta seemed to be a bizarre mix of horrified and amused. She couldn't decide which one made her want to kick him more.

"And _Kagome_," her father said, looking pointedly at his daughter, "won't tell me what it is that she's done that made her school think she was in need of counselling."

"They didn't tell you on the phone?" Souta asked.

"They wouldn't tell you because Kagome hasn't done anything!" her grandfather bellowed. "The whole system is made of nutters! They take the normal ones and try and lock them away." He turned his gaze towards Kagome and pointed emphatically with his chopsticks. "You keep fighting them, Kagome. You keep fighting." He returned to his rice bowl, muttering things about conspiracies and cover-ups in the public school system. "Fight the power!" he exclaimed, around a mouthful of rice.

The show of support would have been more appreciated if it hadn't come out sounding completely insane.

"Father," her mother said in quiet rebuke. "I'm sure that they had a reason for suggesting such a thing."

"What did you _do_, Kagome?" Souta asked, his eyes wild with anticipation.

"I wrote an essay."

"You wrote an _essay_," her father repeated. "An essay that resulted in a request for counselling?"

"My teacher did not approve of my choice of topic," Kagome said flatly, wishing that the floor would open up and swallow her whole. What had possessed her to write that stupid thing?

"What was your topic?"

She stared at the table, scrutinising the small burn mark where she'd put down a pot of boiling water the first time she'd cooked dinner for the family.

"Kagome?"

"May I be excused?" she asked sullenly, and then, without waiting for a reply, she dashed off to her room and slammed the door.

--

She knew that she'd have to come out eventually. She had already stared at the ceiling for hours, lacking the drive to do much else. Still, she was getting hungry, and she was beginning to regret having skipped dinner.

There was a light tap on the door which she recognised as her mother's.

"Kagome? May I come in?"

She was tempted to say no, just to be irritating.

"Yes."

Her mother opened the door and moved silently through the room, before taking a seat the foot of her daughter's bed.

"What's wrong, Kagome?"

"Nothing's wrong, mama." It was a lie, and they both knew it. But they were both equally well-practised at ignoring the half-truths they shared.

"Are you unhappy at school?"

"Not really," she said. _I hate it_, she meant. _I hate going there. _

"That's good."

An uneasy stillness feel across the room, as their unspoken words lay hanging in the air. She almost wished that her mother would get angry again, and at least speak her mind.

"What did you write about?"

"Demons."

Her mother gasped. "Why?"

"Because I wanted to." She turned and faced the wall, avoiding her mother's searching gaze. Say _something_. Say _anything_, she begged silently. Willing her mother to actively find out what was wrong with her daughter for once. Begging her to notice that she wasn't right, and to actually _do_ something about it.

"I think," her mother said hesitantly, after a long silence. "I think that this is for the best."

_What_ was for the best? But before she could ask, her mother had stood and fled the room.

--

She growled in frustration and tossed the wadded up piece of paper at the wall.

She wanted badly to talk to him. He hadn't been around lately, not since their last, confusing, conversation. She'd written his message, 'a fog cannot be dispelled by a fan' on a sticky note, and placed it on the edge of her computer monitor. She regretted now tearing the essay to shreds. She wanted to keep his writing.

Still, the words reminded her of him, and of his message. She'd run over the conversation endlessly in her mind, trying to figure out what exactly had been said, and more importantly what had been meant.

She was still unsure whether he approved or disapproved of her. He seemed to like her essay, though he had been right about the manner in which she'd presented her ideas, and the people she presented them to, being not the best. However, he also had seemed to disagree with it.

_It is unwise to befriend your dinner. _

_That _particular phrase had stuck with her. She had trouble wrapping her mind around the fact that he had killed people. On some level, she had known. There was little doubt that he would have at some point —

_But he hadn't killed her. _Which made no sense at all.

_I am not adverse to killing them if they get in my way._

What did it mean if you killed only when something was an inconvenience? She would have called him heartless, but she didn't think that was true. She would have called him evil, but she didn't think that was true either.

Instead she called him friend, and wondered at exactly what point her world had spun so far out of control.

She wanted so desperately to talk to him. She would make up small conversations with him when she was alone. Think of things to say, and write them down if they appealed to her.

But he never came.

Which is why she now found herself pelting her wall with drafts of letters. She'd probably see him if he came, anyway. But just in case…

Really she just wanted something to do.

_Dear Sesshoumaru, _the first one had began. She'd scrapped it immediately. 'Dear' was far too personal. He didn't strike her as a personal person.

_Sesshoumaru_, was scrapped. Too brief.

_Sesshoumaru-sama_. Too pompous.

_Taiyoukai-sama_. She stared at that for a moment. It was, after all, what he'd asked her to call him. Still, she couldn't bear the thought of calling him simply 'taiyoukai'. He was not generic, by any stretch of the imagination, and simply calling him by his race seemed to generalise him in a way that distinctly repulsed her.

She threw it at the wall.

This was hopeless. She hadn't even managed to get past the first sentence.

She dropped her head into her arms with a satisfying 'thunk'.

Slowly a smile spread across her face as inspiration hit, and she pulled another piece of paper towards her. Grinning wildly she scribbled a single line of text, and rolled it up into a small scroll.

Without bothering to put on a coat and shoes, she dashed outside and stuffed it into the knot in the tree. Stepping back, she admired her handiwork, and turned to head back to the house.

"What are you doing?"

She turned, surprised, and saw her brother standing by the well house with his soccer ball, watching her curiously.

"I'm just out for a walk," she said casually.

"Barefoot?" Souta asked wryly, quirking an eyebrow and looking meaningfully at her bare feet.

"I like being barefoot," she said, and turned to head back into the house.

"No, wait!" Souta came running up to her, and stopped in front of her. "What did you do?"

"Nothing Souta." She waved him off, and started to walk past him. "It's none of your business."

"Does it have something to do with the paper you just stuck in the tree?"

She stopped, and turned around slowly, sighing in defeat. "You saw that, huh?" He nodded. She sat down on one of the benches and gestured for him to do the same.

"I wrote an essay, just like I said. That's all."

Souta looked dubious. "You don't really expect me to believe that, do you?"

"It's true." She grinned. "That's all."

His eyebrows rose almost to his hairline, and he let out a low whistle. "Must've been one heck of an essay, sis."

For the first time in a while, she laughed. "Oh, Souta, you have no idea."

"Tell me."

He looked to terrifyingly serious, and grown-up. She'd lost track, over the years, the progression of his growth. And suddenly, where before she had only seen the annoying kid brother she'd been teasing since she could remember, she now saw a stranger. When had he got so _big_? But everything about him, his voice, his tone, his body language, all screamed adult to her.

Where had childhood gone? She'd blinked, and missed it.

"I was supposed to write about an aspect of society that could be changed and bettered," she said slowly, watching this new boy who had replaced her brother for his reaction. "I wrote about demons."

His brows knitted. "Demons?"

"I said that we shouldn't judge them based only on their race, and suggested that not all demons are evil."

He blinked, and burst into hysterical laughter. "That's a good one, Kagome," he managed to gasp out between hysterical bouts of giggling.

"Yeah," she said flatly.

When she got back to her room she could still hear him laughing.

--

When she checked the tree the next day, she noticed the scroll sticking out slightly. Frowning she pulled it out, and unrolled it.

Her messy scrawl adorned the top line, 'evil is a point of view'. Below that, in a much neater handwriting that she recognised instantly were the words, 'the best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity - _The Second Coming_, William Butler Yeats. Do not allow others to decide your views, but do not allow your views to blind you from the truths that others hold. Evil does exist, and you must learn to see it, or you will undoubtedly fall blindly at its feet.'

She leant against the tree, and tried desperately to quell the shaking in her hands.

--

**A/N**: A few quick notes for those who are interested.

"Evil is a point of view" is a quote from _Interview with the Vampire_, by Anne Rice.

"The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity" is a quote from _The Second Coming_, which is an excellent poem (I'm a bit of a fan of Yeats, if my penname didn't already give that away), by William Butler Yeats.

I took a tiny bit of artistic license when it came to Sesshoumaru quoting an Irish poet, but I figure he's a well-read fellow, and he's likely had plenty of time to read.

If anyone wants to ask/comment on my characterisation of Kagome's mother (I don't think that she is strictly in-character based on the manga/anime, however I do believe that she is in character for the situation, and the world that she is currently faced with. Remember that the world that this mama Higurashi grew up in contained the very serious and dangerous threat of demon attacks, whereas the canon!mama Higurashi never had to deal with that sort of thing. I do believe it would have had an impact on her, but if you disagree then) please either drop me a note in a review, or PM me and I'll be glad to deck it out — in fact, I'd rather enjoy it. XD


	3. Dissonance

**Notes:** The line, 'the public is wonderfully tolerant. It forgives everything but genius' is a quote from Oscar Wilde, and is thus not my own words.

_**Part III: Dissonance**_

--

_出る杭は打たれる_

_Deru kui wa utareru_

_The stake that sticks out gets hammered down._

- Japanese Proverb

--

She sat under the Goshinboku, pulling her sweater around her more snugly for warmth, and yawned. She snaked a hand out of the warm confines of her bulky sweater and grasped the cup of tea that was resting by her side, and raised it to her lips. She smiled as the liquid warmed her, and held the cup cradled between her hands to keep her fingers warm as she read from the textbook propped open in her lap.

With a sudden subtle shift in the wind he was there, arriving completely soundlessly. Only the insistent prickling of her senses alerted her to his presence. She barely even blinked and asked, "tea?"

She bit back a grin. How was that for composure?

He sat down beside her, resting his back against the trunk of the tree, watching impassively as she filled the second cup she'd brought for him. She handed it to him with a grin and for a moment their hands touched as he took it from her. For one terrifying moment she was sure her heart had stopped. Every cell of her body froze the moment their fingers touched, and she had to struggle to remember to even breathe. Then he had grasped the cup and lifted it to his lips, leaving her gaping at him wide-eyed, her pulse racing and her hand hanging aimlessly in mid-air.

Suddenly she realised what she was doing and dropped her hand into her lap abruptly, and turned back to her textbook hoping that she wasn't blushing as badly as she thought she was. When he finished his tea she refilled his cup, but otherwise he seemed content simply to watch her study. Perhaps he, like her, had absolutely no idea what to say.

Still, even taciturn, he made good company. And tea was always better when shared.

After she'd finished reading the required portion of the chapter for her next class, she simply sat and stared at the last page, trying to come up with something to say. "I have my first meeting with my counsellor tomorrow," she burst out suddenly.

"Hn," was her only reply.

"I don't think I really need to see one. I mean, I'm not crazy. But after that essay, it'll be a long time until I can prove I'm not dangerous or anything," she rambled.

"You are dangerous," he said quietly.

"What?"

"What you tried to do was dangerous. Change is always a danger to society. Some of the most tumultuous and violent parts of your history were caused by a change in perspective. It is only natural for a society to fear the unknown."

"Do you?" she asked quietly. For a moment the world felt unnaturally still, as she watched him. He gazed impassively off into the dusking sky, a slight frown the only sign that he had even heard her question. Finally he turned and looked at her. "I do not fear the unknown. Only in overcoming fear and facing the unknown with dignity and honour can true strength be found."

"Oh," she said.

There was a long silence. Her thigh itched. She shifted, her bum growing sore, and blew a lock of hair out of her face. He remained perfectly still, only the ends of his hair waving languidly in the light breeze.

"Was I wrong?" she asked suddenly.

Without acknowledging her he simply said," only if you believe that you are. All that you had was an opinion. Opinions are neither right nor wrong by their nature, as they are not strict statements of fact."

"But my opinion could be wrong for society," she said.

"Yes."

"Was it?"

He didn't reply. She was beginning to get the impression that not replying was how he dealt with questions he didn't want to answer.

"So," she said finally. "I guess I really am crazy."

"The public is wonderfully tolerant. It forgives everything but genius," he said enigmatically, a small knowing smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. She felt like she'd just missed the punch line of a joke.

"Genius?"

"What is genius but the ability to see beyond the ordinary, and envision the extraordinary?" he said, almost playfully now. Something in their conversation had shifted. He was testing her, she realised.

"How is that any different then being crazy?" she asked finally.

His lip turned upwards into a half-grin, and she knew he was pleased. "The difference lies in how well you make your point."

_But which am I?_ she couldn't help but wonder.

--

She had worked herself up into an extremely nervous state by the time she reached the counsellor's office. She wiped her sweaty hands on her skirt, and knocked once on the door.

It swung open almost immediately, and a young man with unfashionably long hair tied back in a ponytail at the base of his neck, several ear piercings and violet eyes was revealed, gazing warmly at her.

"Come in," he said cheerfully. A touch _too_ cheerfully.

"Good afternoon —"

"Call me Miroku," he said abruptly, ushering her into a chair. "We're going to be spending a great deal of time together, after all."

"You're — You're the counsellor?" she asked hesitantly. He was a _bit _too friendly for her tastes.

"Yes," he said, sitting back in his own chair and pulling out a notebook. He let his gaze sweep lazily over her in an _almost_ indecent way, before setting his unnerving gaze on her face. In a strange way he reminded her of Sesshoumaru — something in his gaze was similar. She shivered and tried to subtly inch her chair backwards. And then he grinned, and his gaze subsided.

He picked up a pen and clicked it noisily. He grinned even wider, making her fidget nervously.

"Well," he said finally. "What did you want to talk about?"

"I thought you were going to talk to me?" she said flatly.

"Oh, no. No, I'm here simply to listen. I'm more interested in what you have to say, I'm sure, than you are in what I have to say."

"Do I have to talk about why I'm here?"

"Do you want to?" he tossed the notebook aside flippantly and leaned forward. For a brief moment she thought she saw his gaze skirt down to her neckline, but before she could be sure he was once again gazing at her face and grinning disarmingly.

She crossed her arms defensively and leaned backwards. "You think I'm crazy."

"Do I?" he said, in a fairly convincing imitation of surprise. She _almost_ bought it, but it, like everything else about him, seemed just a bit too contrived, and too well-practised.

"Isn't that why I'm here?"

"Is that why you think you're here?" he countered.

"Will you stop answering my questions with questions?" she snapped. He grinned.

"I was wondering how long it would take you to come out of your shell," he remarked.

A muscle in her jaw twitched as she bit down several choice words. He seemed to notice, and gave an amused chuckle. "I don't think you're crazy."

"I do, however," he said leaning forwards in his chair again, "think you are very intriguing."

"Intriguing?"

"One of a kind," he said, leaning even _farther _forwards. "And _very_ beautiful," he added softly.

"WHAT?"

And then suddenly, as if he'd never moved, he was sitting back in his chair, gazing lazily at her. "I said you were unique. Few students would dare turn in an essay like yours, and even fewer would mean it."

"You read it?" she said shakily, completely unsure of what to make of him.

"Oh, yes. Excellently presented. Decent grasp of grammar, well thought out ideas, a good solid thesis — it was a well-written essay, Higurashi-san. However, I believe it was your choice of topic that cause some … _alarm_." He added an almost amused inflection to the word 'alarm'.

"Do you — did you believe it?"

"Me?" He smiled, this time politely and condescendingly. "No."

"Oh." She felt foolish. She resorted to examining her shoes, trying desperately not to look up at him.

"So I suppose you'll just have to convince me," he said cheekily, and he pulled his notebook back towards him and lay it in his lap, pen poised to write.

_--_

**Final Note:** If anyone has the time/energy for some concrit — I'm really shaky on the character of Miroku right now. I'm not sure I got what I wanted out of him here, and would appreciate feedback from anyone who might have suggestions. Thanks!

**Edit: **Huge thank you to _Imperfection Is A Bliss _who pointed out my repeated mis-spelling of 'counsellor'. This is why I need reviewers XD. Thanks so much! They should all be fixed now, but if I missed any, give me a shout.


	4. Polemics

**Notes: **So this is long enough to hopefully make up for the really short chapter last time. I really appreciate the help I got with Miroku's character, and I have attempted to incorporate your suggestions into this. It was (correctly) pointed out to me by_Kayla M. Tellers _that he was a bit _too _pervy to be working in a school, so I've toned him down a bit. I've also made him a touch craftier, and highly educated (thanks _RenEmma_!), and adaptable enough to keep Kagome on her toes.

Thanks as well to everyone who reviewed, your feedback is much appreciated.

Oh, and I went a bit quote happy in this one. A full list of quotations is at the bottom.

--

_**Part IV: Polemics**_

--

_門前の小僧習わぬ経を読む。_

_Mon zen no kozō narawanu kyō o yomu._

_An apprentice near a temple will recite the scriptures untaught._

— _Japanese Proverb_

_--_

This was definitely not what she had expected. Not that she'd known what to expect, really. But she'd certainly imagined that it would involve a little bit more lecturing and a little less… games.

"What I propose," he'd said gaily, twirling his pen in his left hand. "Is a fair trade. Equivalent exchange, if you will. I'll answer your questions honestly, and to the best of my ability, if you'll answer mine. Every question you answer earns you a question that you may ask me. If you choose not to answer, I may ask a second question, and vice versa."

"What's the catch?" had been her first question. She hadn't believed him when he'd replied quickly, "no catch."

"Only that you must answer truthfully, or not answer at all," he elucidated finally.

It was probably a bad idea. But she could always refuse to answer, couldn't she? It didn't occur to her that a non-answered question might very well say more about her than an answered one.

"All right." As soon as she'd said it something had shifted in his eyes, a quick flicker of triumph, and then it was gone. She'd seen it though, and she knew. He was obviously highly adept at hiding his true thoughts — stashing everything behind his flippant front, belying his true cunning which lay beneath. _Dangerous._

Only this time there were no warnings. No textbooks. No terror based solely on principle. Yet, he was. He was highly dangerous. He couldn't tear her to pieces with his hands; he lacked the sheer brute strength that was so often associated with demons. But he could likely destroy her none-the-less. Her thoughts and feelings were no less a vulnerability than her lack of claws or fangs.

She was suddenly uncomfortably aware that she was playing a game of verbal chess with an expert.

"I'll start, shall I?" he said casually.

"Does that count as a question?" she asked quickly. He smiled widely. "Yes. You may answer it if you so choose, or decline to answer."

"You may start," she said magnanimously.

"Excellent," he said. "And for answering your question I receive an additional question that I may ask you. You, for answering me, also receive a question. That leaves me with two, and you with one." He flashed her another grin. "I shall begin. What made you decide to write an essay about demons?"

The question took a moment to register, she was too busy being furious with him for having snagged an extra question out of her. That was something that would _not _be happening again. "Curiosity," she said simply, when she finally realised that he was waiting for an answer. "My turn."

She paused for a moment, considering what question would be best to ask. "Are you going to tell me that what I did was wrong?"

"An interesting question," he said, placing a hand on his chin thoughtfully. "No. I'll leave that up to you to decide."

Her eyebrows raised at that. _I suppose you'll have to convince me_, he'd said. Perhaps he was trying to do the same? This game, despite its frivolous pretence was an argument carefully designed to get her to change her mind.

_Crafty_, she thought. _Very crafty. But two can play at that game._

"What prompted such unusual curiosity?" he asked mildly, his eyes watching her face for the slightest reaction. She wondered briefly how much she'd already given away.

"Nothing. 'Curiosity has its own reason for existence'."

His eyebrow raised. "Wilde?"

"Einstein. I believe I am now entitled to a second question. What do you think of the premise of my essay, and what conclusions has it lead you to draw about me?"

He laughed suddenly at that. "Well played," he conceded, still grinning. "I think that your essay was well-thought out, and well-organised. However the premise, despite being well presented, was based on ignorance and inexperience. From that, I believe that you are also very young, and idealistic. You have an obvious and highly developed intellect, but that intelligence has yet to grow into wisdom."

She bit back a retort, and simply glowered. He looked amused by her obvious displeasure at his words. "What did you think of your essay's premise, and what conclusions have you drawn about _me_ based on our conversation so far?"

"That's two questions," she ground out.

"I had one in reserve from the beginning."

Her eye twitched angrily. _Jerk_, she thought furiously. "You may decline to answer if you wish," he said imperiously.

"I think that the premise of my essay was highly radical, and socially unacceptable. I think you hide your own ignorance under your experience. 'If you understand everything, you must be misinformed'," she said surlily.

"Ah, proverbs. There are few things quite as excellent as a good proverb. However," he said, raising a single finger warningly. "since you seem fond of Einstein, 'the only source of knowledge _is_ experience'."

"'The reverse side also has a reverse side'," she replied. "And 'a frog in a well does not know the great sea'. Experience can blind you just as easily as it can open your eyes."

Something subtle changed in his expression, and his eyebrow raised fractionally. He gave her a calculating look now, something guarded passing over his countenance. He frowned slightly. "I believe it is your turn."

"Do you believe that I am wrong simply because of my age?" The question came out sounding far harsher than she had intended, but there was no retracting it now.

"To a certain extent," he replied.

"To _what _extent?" she asked quickly.

A ghost of a smile flitted quickly across his face. "Penalty question. I decline to answer that. I do, however, get an extra question, as you asked one out of turn."

She frowned, mentally kicking herself for making such a silly mistake.

"I have two questions, but I shall ask them one at a time. First," he paused momentarily for affect, making Kagome want to roll her eyes. "You wrote a bit about fear in your essay, but I'd like you to explain your hypothesis to me further. What reason do we have for putting aside our natural and justifiable fear of demons in order to give them 'acceptance'?"

"I don't believe we should cast aside fear," she replied. "Fear is useful. But I do believe that we should conquer our fear of the unknown." She smiled and added, "'only in overcoming fear and facing the unknown with dignity and honour can true strength be found'." In a strange way she found quoting Sesshoumaru's theories on fear to the man who was, in his own way, deeply determined to prove that demons were highly dangerous, and, likely, completely terrified of Sesshoumaru and all that he represented, appealingly ironic.

"How do you propose to go about doing this?" he said mildly, though she got the distinct impression that he was now only humouring her.

"By not making our character judgements based solely upon the presupposed framework laid down by society. We don't assume people, by their nature, are evil. Neither should we assume that demons by their nature are also evil. Character judgements are exactly that, judgements of _character_. In order to pass judgement on a character, we must first get to know it."

"And if getting to know it costs us our lives?"

She smirked. "Penalty question." He blinked, and his eyebrows shot to his hairline. She felt a sense of triumph at having caught him so off-guard. "Common sense is hardly to be discounted. We would not try and befriend a mass murderer simply because they are human. Judgements can be made based upon actions as well as words."

Her smirk widened, and she added. "I believe, if I've counted correctly, that I now have three questions."

He nodded, conceding the point gracefully. "That is twice you have outplayed me," he remarked casually. "Which is twice more than usual. You are more intriguing than I had first thought."

Her eyes narrowed, and immediately she went on the defensive. However, his eyes, this time, remained affixed appropriately on her face, and did not stray any lower. If he had noticed and interpreted her reaction, he gave no sign.

"Did my essay frighten you?"

He smiled. "Yes."

"Do I frighten you?"

"Yes."

She nodded. "Why?"

Slowly, he answered, "you are unpredictable, and incomprehensible. A strange mixture of naiveté and wisdom that I did not expect. I was aware that your essay was well thought out, but I had assumed it was merely an excellently executed joke." He paused for a moment, his eyes searching her own for something. Then he asked cautiously, as if he, himself, almost feared the question, "have you ever met a demon?"

Her heart stopped beating briefly, before picking up with a vigourous, pounding rhythm that threatened to break out of her chest. She desperately tried to school her expression, and quell the wave of fear that had risen at his question.

Oddly enough, she wasn't quite sure what it was that she was so afraid of.

She gulped and said. "I think I've had enough of this. May I go?"

He nodded briskly, suddenly seeming far more serious and imposing than he had before. "Yes."

She collected her things and left, making a quick b-line for the door. As her hand touched the doorknob he spoke. "Higurashi-san." She paused, and turned.

"I will see you next week at the same time." She nodded. "And," he grinned suddenly, the action making him appear far younger than he was. "You will still owe me two answers. I shall use the time to come up with adequate questions."

She nodded again, and stepped out into the hall. As soon as the door latched behind her she started running and didn't stop until she got home.

--

"How was school?" her father asked as he passed the rice bowl over the dinner table.

Was that ever a loaded question. When had dinners at her house become such a trying affair?

"Fine."

"How was your meeting with the school's counsellor?" he asked, his attempt at nonchalance not fooling anyone present. Well, except, perhaps, her grandfather. Though Kagome suspected that her grandfather picked up on far more things than people gave him credit for.

"Fine."

"What did you two talk about?" her father asked, passing the teapot over to Souta forcefully, causing the tea inside to slosh wildly and Souta to take a nervous skitter back from the table.

"Stuff."

"Kagome," her mother said reprovingly. As her father stuck his chopsticks ferociously into his rice and growled, "what sort of _stuff_?"

"He asked me about my essay," she said, shovelling her mouth full of rice and chewing with exaggerated movements.

"What did you say?"

She gestured at her stuffed mouth and continued chewing far longer than was strictly necessary. Finally, she gave up and swallowed. "That it was a socially unacceptable thing to have done."

Her father's eyes narrowed. "What did _he_ say?"

"That I was ignorant and inexperienced."

"Hmm," he said, sitting back and looking at her appraisingly. "Perhaps this _will _be worthwhile."

Kagome grit her teeth and tried hard to pretend her father hadn't just blatantly insulted her. Her mother gave her a sympathetic look over the tuna and returned to her food.

--

"I met with my counsellor today," she said, as she twirled a dead leaf between her finger and thumb.

The taiyoukai gave no indication that he had heard her comment, but she continued on anyway.

"He reminded me of you," she added, tossing the leaf aside and picking up another.

She thought she heard a faint snort come from the taiyoukai in question, and she waited patiently for him to take the bait. After a moment he gave in.

"How so?"

Mentally, she smirked. Perhaps all those mind games with Miroku-sama had been good for something after all. "He was extremely clever, and highly intelligent. And a good conversationalist, though he seemed a bit eristic."

After a moment she added, "and he is nearly as dangerous as you, in his own way."

"I wasn't aware that you considered me dangerous at all," he remarked, though there was an odd tone to his voice that she couldn't quite place.

"I'm well aware that you are easily capable of killing me, and destroying me." Absurdly, she smiled. "Both of which would likely end badly, for me, by the way, so the fact that you haven't yet done so is much appreciated."

"Are death and destruction not the same thing?"

She twirled the leaf between her fingers again, delighting in the way the yellows, reds and browns mixed as it spun. "There are worse things than death," she said softly.

"Hn," he replied enigmatically.

She tossed the leaf aside and collapsed backwards into the dirt, laying spread-eagled and looking up at the sky. The ends of his hair brushed her fingertips lightly, sending strange tingles up her arm. As casually as she could she inched her arm away from him, and placed it on her stomach.

He remained perfectly still. She was beginning to suspect he did that a lot.

"I don't really know what to think about him," she said finally. "I think he's interesting. But I don't really _like_ him. He's too conniving. And a touch creepy."

His eyebrows lowered slightly in a small frown. "Creepy?"

"Mmm," she said. "He made me feel uncomfortable. At least, at first."

The frown became more pronounced, but Sesshoumaru said nothing. In fact, she mused as she waited, it was beginning to look like he wasn't going to say anything else at all, and was instead going to simply sit there and brood.

She stared up at the night sky, and traced over the patterns of the constellations with her finger. The rustling of the leaves was oddly comforting, but it was slightly cold. She began to wish she'd brought a blanket.

"What did he say to you?"

She dropped her hand abruptly, and it landed with a thump on her stomach. "Umm," she said stupidly. "That I was ignorant and young. And wrong."

"He mistakes ignorance for naiveté, and youth for idiocy," he said shortly.

"Oh, he used naiveté too," Kagome said.

"He is not incorrect."

She snorted. "Not you too."

He raised an eyebrow and looked at her disdainfully.

"Sorry," she said, meekly. He nodded once and resumed staring off into space.

"You are still dangerously heedless," he said suddenly. "And far too trusting." He frowned, and stood. "Come," he said imperiously, and began walking off.

She blinked once in surprise, before scrambling madly to her feet and rushing after him. "Where are we going?" she asked, breathless with excitement and anticipation.

He glanced at her briefly before quickening his step, forcing her to jog to keep up. Suddenly he stopped so abruptly that she nearly ran into him, and turned. He looked her up and down once and seemed to come to a decision. "Hold on," he said ominously, as snaked one arm around her and pulled her flush up against him.

_Holy crap,_ she thought fairly incoherently as she latched blindly onto his shirt. Her face was buried in his shoulder, and she was curled up against his side, with his arm around her back. And he was so _warm_. Unnaturally warm. She wondered if it was a demon thing. And he smelt masculine. It was the same smell that she'd savoured for so long when she was younger, though it was slightly different than she remembered. For one, it was certainly stronger. And… warmer, if it was possible for a smell to be _warm_.

She felt something gathering at her feet, a strange build-up of power that had her senses thrumming with alarm. Looking down she noticed a cloud forming at her feet. She frowned in puzzlement and said, "what?"

And then she was rising up and up, clinging frantically to him as they shot into the air and biting back a scream of terror. "You can fly?" she asked incredulously, unconsciously throwing her arms around his neck and clinging desperately to him.

He snorted in what she took to be amusement, and she felt his breath ghost across her temple. _Oh my_…

She gathered the courage to peek around his shoulder and look down, and immediately she rather wished she hadn't. They were up _high_. And moving quickly. And flying. She was _flying_. Yes, she'd flown in an airplane before, but that hardly qualified when compared to this.

If he dropped her she would be a human pancake.

At that morbid thought she squeaked in terror and hid her face in his shoulder.

He ignored her, instead his eyes scoured the landscape, watching both for other demons and a suitable place to land.

Only when her feet had touched solid earth again did she dare open her eyes again. As soon as she was sure she was on solid ground, however, she scrambled away from him and promptly fell over, her body shaking in terror.

"You could have _warned_ me," she said accusingly.

He gave her an impassive look.

When her limbs finally stopped shaking, she stood up and brushed the dirt off her pants. "Um, Sesshoumaru?" He turned and looked at her sharply, and she gulped and took an automatic step back. "Um…" she said, swallowing nervously. "Why are we here?"

He glared at her for a terrifyingly long time before replying.

"You require a visual demonstration, and your courtyard does not have sufficient space."

She blinked. "What?" she asked stupidly.

He gave her a condescending look, and stalked to the centre of the large clearing they were in. She began to follow him, but, without turning he said, "stay." She stayed.

When he reached the centre of the clearing, he stopped and turned to face her. For a moment he just stood there, and she was about to ask what exactly was going on when she felt it. All of a sudden the air became electrically charged. The hair at the back of her neck began to stand on end, and all of her senses began screaming at her to run.

The air around him was beginning to swirl. She could feel his power rising, it was almost tangible now. The clearing began to smell like rain, as the currents of air clashed wildly. And everywhere felt like _him_. His sheer presence was overwhelming, and she fell to her knees, suddenly painfully aware of what exactly it was he felt the need to demonstrate.

She could almost taste it now. With one final pulse of power he seemed to grow suddenly, and where he had previously been standing and gargantuan white dog now stood, a dark blue crescent moon in stark contrast to the white fur displayed proudly on his forehead.

He was _magnificent_. Where before, in human form, he had been ethereal, here, now unveiled in his true form, he was suddenly brutally corporeal. His true form positively screamed power.

He looked down at her with his red eyes and bared his teeth.

It took nearly all her willpower to not run away, screaming in terror. Instead she stood her ground and gazed, open-mouthed, back at him. Then he took a step forward, and the entire earth shook so badly she nearly fell over.

He ducked his head down so that she was level with his nose, which was nearly as high as she was tall. _Ohgodohgodohgodohgod_ her mind supplied helpfully. Almost uncontrollably she began to walk forward, her hand reached out in front of her.

A strange moment of déjà vu struck her, as the image of her standing in the same position, reaching out to touch his face flashed through her mind. And then she touched the fur at the end of his snout. It was impossibly soft, especially considering the monstrous beast it was attached to. She almost giggled at the very idea of considering Sesshoumaru fluffy, but there really seemed to be no denying it. He, despite being much, much, _much, _bigger than her, was eminently pet-able.

She ran her fingers though his fur, delighting in the feel. Slowly she made her way up his snout, and traced the magenta markings around his mouth. She wanted to scratch behind his ears, just to see if he'd enjoy it, but she wasn't tall enough.

His eyes watched her impassively, and he allowed her to continue her explorations unhindered.

When she finally stepped back, he stood up abruptly, and changed back into his regular form. The change back seemed highly anticlimactic, especially considering the show he'd put on for his first transformation.

Without a word he grabbed her and shot up into the air, and she clutched onto him with an alarmed squeak.

When they arrived back at the shrine, he all but dropped her onto the ground, and turned brusquely, leaving without so much as a word.

She stood in the courtyard and wondered exactly what it was that she'd done to offend him.

Behind her the door to her house slid open with a bang, and her father strode furiously out into the courtyard. "Would you care to tell us," he said, positively seething with fury, "where exactly you've _been_?"

She gulped. _Oh crap._

_--_

Quotations used:

"Curiosity has its own reason for existence" - Albert Einstein.

"If you understand everything, you must be misinformed" - Japanese Proverb

"The only source of knowledge is experience" - Albert Einstein

"The reverse side also has a reverse side" - Japanese Proverb

"A frog in a well does not know the great sea" - Japanese Proverb

If you've got the time to let me know what you think of the Miroku of this chapter, that would be much appreciated. Thanks!

**Edit:** Thanks to _Kura-sama_ who pointed out the typo in this chapter. It should be fixed now, but if you notice anything else, please drop me a line.


	5. Discordancy

**A/N:** I know, it's been a while. I haven't forgotten about this, nor am I abandoning it. June was an awful month for me — so I apologise for not being able to update this, but it was rather unavoidable. However, I am currently both sick and busy, so I can't guarantee regular updates (as much as I would like to). I'm sorry about both the wait between this chapter and the last, and the lack of regular updating in the near future, but it really is unavoidable. I find it near impossible to concentrate when I'm sick -- which also explains a bit about the quality of this chapter. I may later re-edit this, but I've been trying to write this bloody thing for the past month so I figured I might as well just post it and move on.

Feedback is always appreciated (if you see anything that doesn't work, or characterisation issues, do let me know!). And sorry this is so dialogue heavy.

Finally, a _huge_ thank-you to the many people who dropped a review. I appreciate all your feedback. :) Reviews rarely fail to work as a pick-me-up when I'm feeling particularly lousy.

- The Second Coming

--

_**Part V: Discordancy**_

_--_

"_Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to put one in a fruit salad." — _Miles Kington

--

She stared miserably down at her soggy noodles, wondering when she'd last had something for lunch that wasn't Ramen.

"Cheer up, Kagome," Ayumi said sympathetically, giving her own bowl of instant noodles a stir with her chopsticks.

"Yeah," added Eri, with forced-cheerfulness. "It could be worse."

Kagome watched a small piece of noodle float around in her bowl.

"Being grounded isn't so bad," Ayumi said. "At least you'll have lots of time for homework."

The small piece of noodle was floating in circles, separated from the others. She wondered absently if the noodle was lonely.

"You can still use your computer though, right?" Yuka asked. "So you can still talk to us by e-mail and everything. It's not like you're alone."

"Yeah, Kagome," Eri said. "We're with you."

She wondered if the noodle had been kicked out for being different. Maybe the big noodles were always picking on it for being small and awkward. It probably had all of its lunch money stolen, and had its head stuffed down toilets all the time. She wondered if it might write a book, or start a society some day (provided she didn't eat it). She wondered what it would be like if you could tell what sort of person you would be from birth. Would there be criteria to entitle you to existence? Would anyone who would become someone who would pocket a lost wallet be disqualified? What if you were bound to start a charity organisation for orphaned children, but, at the same time, torture puppies in your basement? Where then would you fall?

She wondered if her heart would be weighed in the afterlife, and balanced against the feather of truth like the Egyptians believed. She wondered where her heart would fall.

In most cultures, sympathising with the enemy was just as great an offence as being the enemy yourself.

She wondered who it was that decided what was right, and what was wrong, and where she might be able to write them a letter.

"Kagome?" Ayumi asked, her voice laced with concern. "Are you sure you're alright?"

She wondered if she was going insane.

"I'm not hungry," she said, as she pushed her half-eaten bowl of instant noodles away and fled from the cafeteria, ignoring her friends' cries of 'Kagome!'.

"I'm really worried about her," Yuka said.

Eri and Ayumi nodded solemnly in agreement.

"But what can we do?" Eri asked. "Should we talk to her parents?"

Ayumi shook her head. "No," she said. "I think we need to support her through this difficult time."

Yuka nodded, and took a bite of noodles. "She's seeing a counsellor," Eri added gravely. "She wouldn't say why. I only found out when I saw her leaving his office two days ago."

"You don't think…" Ayumi trailed off hesitantly. "You don't think she's… _sick_, do you?"

There was a moment of horrified silence as the girls processed the thought.

"What if she is?" Eri asked, in a hushed voice.

"She'll need our help," Yuka said. "We should try and find out what she has."

"We could go to the library," Ayumi said, pushing her noodles aside. "Look up disorders that match her symptoms. See what we can do to help."

"We should probably keep an eye on her too. You know, to monitor her."

"You mean _spy_ on her?" Eri hissed.

"No," Yuka replied shortly. "Monitor. Make sure she doesn't do anything dangerous."

Ayumi frowned. "Kagome is not dangerous."

Yuka lowered her voice to a whisper. "People who are mentally ill aren't responsible for their actions. She might not be the Kagome we know."

There was a moment of silence.

"I think we should go to the library now," Ayumi said weakly.

The other two girls nodded solemnly.

--

"I got grounded," she said sullenly as soon as Miroku had closed the door to his office.

"Should I be sympathetic?" he asked lazily as he poured her a cup of tea and passed it to her.

"Thanks," she said, cradling the mug between her hands and blowing gently on the tea to cool it. "Only if you want," she added with a shrug.

"Did you do something to earn your punishment?" he asked, settling himself in the chair across from hers.

"I snuck out of the house late at night," she said.

His eyebrows raised slightly. "My previous question still stands."

"Yes. It was foolish, and dangerous," she said flatly.

He chuckled. "You sound like you've said that before. Was it worth it?"

She shrugged noncommittally, and took a large gulp of tea, wincing as she felt the hot liquid blistering her throat. Her eyes watered, and she took a deep breath, willing herself not to cry.

Miroku tactfully took the mug from her hand, where it was tipping precariously and set it down on the table.

"There are other ways of avoiding my questions," Miroku said amusedly. "I would prefer you use ones that aren't nearly so dangerous."

"It's just tea," she rasped.

"Shall we continue our game?" he asked, catching her off balance with his sudden change of topic.

"Why?"

"Why not?"

She scowled. "That's hardly an answer."

He smirked. "But you will notice that it was a perfectly harmless way of avoiding your question."

Her eyes narrowed as she barely refrained from pointing out that if he did it again she'd show him just how dangerous it was. In fact, she mused as her eye twitched furiously, she might just show him now, purely to wipe the smug look off his face.

As if on cue, his expression returned to its usual placid state.

That almost, _almost_, irritated her even more.

"Why do you insist on playing this game?" she ground out.

His eyes twinkled, and she had the distinct impression that he knew just how irked with him she was. When he spoke though, his voice was carefully neutral. "I enjoy games. I thought you might enjoy them as well."

"Is that all this is," she snapped. "A game?"

"My dear Kagome," he said lazily. "What good conversation isn't?"

Her eye twitched again. Ooooh, she _hated_ him. She couldn't even quite place _why_ she hated him so much, but everything about him drove her absolutely up the wall.

"Do you play with everyone like this?"

"No."

Her scowl intensified. "Why me, then?"

He smiled benignly. "Few people, particularly students, have the aptitude to play well enough to be of any entertainment value."

She wanted to throw something at him. "You _jerk_," she said, no longer mindful of who she was speaking to. "You absolute, pig-headed _jerk_."

His eyes widened in surprise, and he sat up suddenly in his chair.

She narrowed her eyes and pointed at him menacingly. "I'm 'entertainment value' to you? Do you enjoy finding faults in others, and mocking them? Toying with them? Learning their innermost secrets and exploiting them? Discovering who they are so that you can completely deconstruct them from the inside out? Is that what you want? Is that who you _are_?" she hissed furiously.

"I —"

She cut him off. "You shouldn't play mind games, _counsellor_. It's an abuse of power, and it's _sick_. You're supposed to _help_ people."

"Kagome —"

"I think we're finished, sensei." She stood, and made for the door.

"Sit down," he said sharply.

She bit down on the 'no' that rested on the tip of her tongue, and resorted to staring sullenly at him. The small voice of reason in her mind kept telling her that he was a teacher, and that flouting his rules would mean a world of trouble.

"Sit," he said again. "And listen to me carefully."

She stepped towards the door.

"Step out that door now and I will see to it that you are expelled," he said quietly.

She sat back down in her chair.

"I don't enjoy threatening you," he said flatly. "But it is important that you understand this." He pulled his chair towards hers, and looked directly into her eyes. "I do not use personal information against people."

His eyes were purple. It struck her as an unusual colour. As she stared into his eyes she understood why they might be considered the windows to the soul. His expression was unguarded, and serious, though she had no doubt that he had done so deliberately. The more she looked into his eyes, the more she believed what he was saying.

"I will not use anything I learn in this room against you in any way. I do not intend you any harm, and I do not consider these sessions trivial."

She nodded. A curious look passed over his eyes, and for a moment she was sure he was about to say something, but then it was gone, and he was sitting back lazily in his chair again.

She was unsure what to say, so she opted for staring at her feet instead.

"If you wish to leave now, you may," he said softly.

She nodded and gathered her things, rushing from the room as quickly as she could without a word.

--

He hadn't been around for a week. Not since the night he'd returned her home and left without so much as a word.

At first she had been confused, and then resigned, but now furious. She'd left him several messages all week, and they had all been left unopened.

There was little doubt now: he was ignoring her.

She hadn't done _anything_. He was in a snit over nothing.

She'd run over their last encounter endlessly, trying to pinpoint the moment at which he'd become upset, but she hadn't found anything that she'd done or said that could conceivably have caused his anger.

And now he was ignoring her, like a petulant five year old. He was acting like a _child_.

He had come into her life, and thoroughly ruined it, and now he thought that he could just waltz right back out of it again without worrying about the consequences?

_How like a man_, she thought vindictively. That thought gave her pause for a moment. Yuka had recently adopted a taste for feminism, and it was clearly starting to rub off on her. Her lip twitched. It seemed a bit odd putting Sesshoumaru in the role of a chauvinist. Even if he was male, it was near impossible to picture him in any sort of relationship.

Suddenly the image of Sesshoumaru in a suit, heading off to work in a BMW, with a large coffee in hand popped into her mind. She snickered.

Sesshoumaru cowed by feminism.

She grinned.

Sesshoumaru doing his share of the housework.

She giggled.

Sesshoumaru walking in a women's rights protest.

Yuka would be proud. She giggled gleefully, lying face-up on her bed. It'd be a miracle if she could ever face him with a straight face again.

There was a quiet knock on her door, followed immediately by the soft sound of the door opening. Cautiously Souta poked his head around the door and raised an eyebrow.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing," she said quickly, sitting up. "What do you want?"

He glanced behind him before entering her room and shutting the door. He shifted nervously from foot to foot for a moment, his obvious anxiety making her nervous.

"Souta? What is it?"

"Umm," he said, scratching his head nervously.

When no further elaboration seemed forthcoming, Kagome said, "'um' what?"

"Isawyou," he blurted suddenly. "I saw you come back with that demon."

For one terrifying moment her brain completely forgot how to breathe.

"What are you talking about?" she said thickly, finding it suddenly difficult to enunciate with her bone-dry throat. Her palms were suddenly sweaty, and she wiped them inconspicuously on the covers of her bed.

"I saw you," he repeated. "What the hell is going on?"

"It's not," she said slowly. "It's not what you think."

"I don't know _what_ to think!" he said, throwing his hands up into the air. "I mean… What did he do to you? He didn't —"

"No!" She shook her hands emphatically. "No! NO! Nothing like that. It's not like that at all. We're… friends."

"_Friends_?" Souta repeated incredulously.

"In a general sense," she said.

"Friends," he repeated. "_Friends_." He shook his head. "What the hell is _wrong_ with you?"

"I don't know," she replied honestly.

"Dad's going to freak."

"Don't tell him," she said quickly. "Please. Please, Souta."

Souta looked seriously at her, frowning. "Kagome, he's _dangerous_."

"I know," she said. "I know he's dangerous. I haven't forgotten, ever."

"He could kill you."

She nodded. "I know."

Souta was silent for a moment. "Do you like him?"

"He's… Different."

He nodded gravely, looking down at the floor. "Do you trust him?"

"I don't know."

"Bloody hell, Kagome!" he burst out suddenly, running a hand brusquely through his hair. "How am I supposed to sit here and do nothing, when you don't even know if what you're doing is safe?" He sighed, his arm falling limply to his side. "I'm really worried about you, Sis."

"I don't know if I can trust him. I don't even really _know_ him. But I have to keep doing this, Souta," she said softly. "It's like I just _have _to know that I'm not crazy, and that he's not simply a mindless killing machine. I see something in him, Souta. He's smart, and he's educated, and he's _alive_. He thinks, and he had beliefs and ideas and philosophies. And he's not at all like us. He's completely different, yet entirely the same. I don't understand it at all, but I want to. I _need to_." She looked at him, begging him to understand. "I _need_ to know that two people so completely different can still coexist together, and that there's still some good in this world."

Souta sat down on the bed next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"I don't understand a word you just said," he said softly. "But if it's that important to you, I won't say anything."

She began to say thank-you, but he cut her off.

"If it gets dangerous, I want you to promise me that you'll ask for help."

She nodded.

"I'm serious," he said sharply, shaking her shoulder. "Promise me."

"I promise."

Souta nodded, seemingly satisfied.

"So," he said lightly. "What's the lucky demon's name?"

--


	6. Solivagant

**Author's Note: **Well it's certainly been a long time since I've updated, and I apologise. I do intend to at least attempt to finish this, though I can't guarantee that it'll happen any time soon (as much as I'd like to). I do promise though to get at least the next few chapters (which are planned out, and half-written), out during the time I have off for Christmas. I do understand if quite a few of the people who had been following this little story have moved on to bigger and better things (I'm not surprised, nor offended XD), but if anyone's still out there, I hope you enjoy!

- The Second Coming.

_**Part VI: Solivagant**_

—

_I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. _

_- _Henry David Thoreau, _Walden, or Life in the Woods_

—

"I have noticed," said Miroku tonelessly, dropping a plain white file with the name Higurashi, Kagome emblazoned on it in bold, black letters onto the table between himself and the young girl, "that your grades have been slipping. In fact, it has been brought to my attention by nearly all of your teachers."

"Has it?" Kagome asked flatly.

"Yes," he replied, gazing seriously into her eyes with an unnerving intensity. "It does, of course, make me wonder if there is anything that you wished to speak to me about."

"There is nothing," She replied softly.

"Nothing at all?" Miroku inquired seriously. "Kagome," he said, his voice softening. "Understand that it is my job to be your confidant. I hope that you will come to trust and confide in me, so that I can help to understand what it is you're going through."

Kagome gave him a flat look that spoke volumes about what she thought of his sincerity. "I'm fine," she said. "Really."

Miroku frowned and sat back in his chair. "Very well," he replied. "It is also my job to trust you -- for only through giving trust can trust be received. If your marks are not something you wish to speak about, than we shall leave them aside for now. However, you have twenty-five more minutes scheduled with me, so I leave that time in your hands. What would you like to do?"

"It doesn't matter," she replied.

"Kagome," Miroku said softly. "Though you may not believe me, I have become very fond of you. It worries me to see you like this. Is there truly nothing that you feel I can do to help?"

"It's nothing," she replied firmly. "There's nothing anyone can do."

Miroku frowned. "That's far more than a usual degree of hopelessness. What happened to your steadfast belief in righteousness?"

Kagome glanced up at him in mixed surprise and anger, very likely the exact reaction he'd hoped to elicit from his comment. She frowned, looking at his open expression of mixed interest, concern and sincerity, and wondered how much of it was just a well-practised act.

"I don't trust you," she said, staring straight at him as if to further impress her point. "Because I don't believe I trust anyone anymore. I --" she looked down at her hands which lay folder in her lap. "I don't know what I'm supposed to believe anymore. And I can't help feeling that there's something wrong with me. That the way I react to things doesn't match up with the way I'm _supposed_ to react."

He didn't say anything in reply, but she was acutely aware that he was listening intently to every word.

"When I got such a terrible mark on my maths test, I just didn't care. Everyone was telling me that it would be okay, and that I'd do better next time, and they were all so _upset_, and it made me think that _I_ should be upset too, but I wasn't..." she trailed off softly. "Everything's like that now. I see things, but it doesn't feel like anything is really happening to me, or really making an impact anymore." She fell silent, still staring down at her hands.

"When did you begin to feel this way?" Miroku prompted softly.

Her mind flickered immediately back to the last time she'd seen Sesshoumaru. She could still feel his soft fur between her fingers, feel the thrill of his power dancing across her skin as he transformed into his true self. She had clung desperately to the memory of that night, scarcely believing that it had been real, but finding all else pale in comparison.

She shivered as she remembered the way he'd dumped her and left without a word.

"A couple months ago," she said softly.

She could tell that he had more questions to ask her, though to her great surprise and pleasure he chose not to push. "I do not believe you are incapable of trust," he said, his light tone breaking the heavy mood that had settled in the room. "Nor do I believe there is anything wrong with the way you feel. Emotion is something beyond our control -- and thus there is never a right or wrong way to feel. There is simply the way that _you_ feel." He grinned. "However, I would very much like to see you take an interest in your studies again. You are a very bright student, Kagome, and you could do very well if you simply applied yourself."

She scowled, fury rising in her veins. _You could do very well if you simply applied yourself_. That had been everyone's response to her falling grades. He had ignored everything that she had just said. It was not nearly so simple as _applying herself_.

Still grinning, he seemed to read her thoughts. "I'm not suggesting that it is in any way a simple task, but it is a necessary one. Perhaps you can find something within your school work that interests you, and focus on that?"

The scowl remained firmly in place on her face, but it seemed to have no effect on the jovial counsellor. "I believe," he said beatifically, "that is all the time we have for today. You may go, and I will see you again on Wednesday."

She nodded sharply, and gathered her things striding angrily from the room and stalking down the halls of the school.

--

On the way home she stopped briefly to check theGoshinboku, but found the message she'd written for Sesshoumaru still firmly wedged in the knot of the tree. Warm tears pricked her eyes, and she blinked furiously in an attempt to keep them at bay. Gently she lay her hand against the bark of the tree, feeling its rough texture under her soft hands.

"Where _are _you?" she whispered softly.

—

Souta was cold. He shivered, wrapping his sweater tighter around himself, unsure whether it was the cold itself or his nervous state that had made him shiver in the first place.

_I can't believe I'm actually doing this_, he thought quietly to himself as he looked up to his sister's window, noting that the light was still on despite the late hour. The ground was cold beneath him as he sat beneath the Goshinboku waiting.

"Are you out there?" he called out softly, his voice trembling slightly. He gulped, his dry throat making the action exceedingly difficult. "Sesshoumaru-sama?" he asked, trembling. "I wish to speak to you."

He was met with silence, and, in truth, he found that relieving. He wasn't even sure what had brought him out in the middle of the night to meet with a ruthless demon anyway. Everything he had ever been taught, every once of logic that he was privy to told him that this was a colossally bad idea. But it had been months that Kagome had been moping around, ever since that horrible night when she'd gone off with him and not come back for hours.

He wasn't sure if they'd had a fight of some kind, but he was acutely aware that even despite the _taiyoukai's_ seeming partiality to her, he didn't need claws to hurt her.

Souta had reached a breaking point. He alone knew what it was that was destroying his sister so completely, and he no longer could stand around doing nothing about it. Even if it meant potentially facing down a dangerous demon.

_I really hope Kagome gets me something nice for my birthday after this_, he thought to himself with wry amusement.

His amusement, however, faded in favour of alarm as they hair on the back of his neck began to stand up. Slowly, with growing dread and inevitability, Souta turned and saw him standing in the middle of the courtyard.

Souta blinked once to assure himself that he wasn't imagining it. The _taiyoukai_ seemed so foreign and out of place in the courtyard that Souta could scarcely believe he was even real. His skin gave off a faint luminescence in the moonlight, making him seem even more unearthly. However, he wasn't moving, simply staring straight at Souta blankly.

For one brief, hysterical moment Souta Higurashi prepared to die.

There was no sudden flash of claws in the moonlight, no glowing red eyes and powerful fangs moving towards him. Sesshoumaru had remained mercifully motionless. Carefully Souta moved forwards, trying to slow his frantically beating heart.

"You requested my presence, boy," Sesshoumaru said in a low, quiet voice.

Nervously Souta nodded. He wondered how his sister could possibly be drawn to this creature. To Souta he was simply a beast. His human shape did little to disguise the aura of feral power that surrounded him. Sesshoumaru was completely inhuman in every sense of the word, and every instinct that Souta possessed rebelled tirelessly against that. He tried to swallow, but found his mouth far too dry to accomplish the action. "I-I wanted to talk t-to you about K-Kagome," he said, stumbling slightly over the words.

The expression on Sesshoumaru's face remained the same, but it seemed to Souta as if the intensity of his eyes had increased, and he was painfully aware that he now had the _taiyoukai's _complete attention.

"She is uninjured," Sesshoumaru stated.

"Not in the physical sense," Souta replied nervously.

Sesshoumaru's golden eyes narrowed slightly. "Explain," he said curtly.

"She's not really living. She barely eats, she's not interested in anything at all anymore. She won't talk to anyone, not even me. I'm worried about her." Souta watched Sesshoumaru nervously, hoping that he hadn't in some way offended him, or given him any reason to become angry.

Sesshoumaru seemed to be thoughtful for a moment, before nodding. "You may go," he said simply.

"Are you going to talk to her?" Souta asked before he could stop himself. "I-I mean I think it would help," he added. "You mean a lot to her."

The _taiyoukai's_ dark brows drew together in an expression of consternation, the only expression Souta had seen on his face. "I will do what is necessary," he replied enigmatically. "Go."

Souta ran, stumbling over his own feet as nervousness overcame him fully, and didn't stop until he was safely inside the house, his heart beating frantically in his chest.

"I really hope you know what you're doing with him, Sis," he said softly into the quiet house.

--


	7. Cacophony

**Author's Note:** Well, as promised, I bring you another update! There's been a rather distinct lack of Sesshoumaru/Kagome interaction of late, so I thought I'd rectify that.

And I don't know what happened with Ayumi, Eri and Yuka. The more I write them, the crazier they seem to get. Anyway, any feedback you have to offer is (as always) greatly appreciated.

-The Second Coming

_**Part VII: Cacophony **_

—

"_Who shot that arrow in your throat?_

_Who missed the crimson apple?_

_And there is discord in the garden tonight."_

_-_The Hush Sound, _Wine Red_.

—

"Is Kagome in?" Ayumi's voice drifted up to Kagome's bedroom from the hallway downstairs. Kagome frowned, stuffing the worn blue silk scarf she'd been holding under he pillow.

"Yes she is" she heard her mother reply. "I'll just fetch her. Would you like some tea?"

"We're fine, thanks."

Kagome heard the sound of her mother's footsteps as she mounted the stairs, and she rose from her bed, opening the door before her mother could knock.

"Your friends are here to see you," her mother said softly.

Kagome nodded, slowly making her way downstairs to the kitchen. "Hey guys," she said as she took a seat at the kitchen table.

"Kagome!" Ayumi said enthusiastically.

"We were heading down to WacDonald's," Eri said cheerfully. "Do you want to come?"

"We haven't done anything together in _ages_," Yuka added.

"That sounds like it'll be fun," her mother added, smiling. "You girls go have a good time. I'll see you for dinner, Kagome."

When Eri grabbed her arm and pulled her along, Kagome didn't bother to resist.

"So," Eri said loudly as soon as they'd left the house. "How'd you do on the history test, Kagome?"

She frowned. "Not well," she said.

Ayumi looked at her in concern. "You'll do better next time, I'm sure," she said softly.

"Do you want us to help you study?" Yuka offered. "You can borrow my notes. I colour code them."

"Sure," she replied vacantly. "That'd be great."

"Kagome?" Ayumi asked. "Are you sure you're okay? You seem a bit ill."

"I'm fine," Kagome replied automatically. "Just a bit tired."

Ayumi frowned, and looked like she was about to say something when Yuka cut in. "Have you guys seen the new boy in Civics?" She grinned and threw her hands up in the air. "He's _gorgeous_!"

"I _know_," Eri agreed immediately, and the conversation quickly turned to the subject of boys, something Kagome could easily worm her way out of.

—

"She barely said a word all day," Eri said.

"That's because you barely let her get a word in edgewise," Yuka pointed out, finishing off the last of the fries.

"She's become a total recluse," Ayumi said, cutting over Eri's loud indignant "hey!"

"I know," Yuka said. "It's like she doesn't even want to talk to us anymore."

"What could have happened to her?" Eri said. "I mean she was fine a couple months ago."

"I don't know," Ayumi said softly. "I mean, the rest of her family seems fine. She hasn't had any boyfriends, so she can't have broken up with someone…"

"She could be bipolar," Eri said, sniggering.

"Shut _up_," Ayumi snapped. "That's not funny. What if she really is sick?"

"We didn't find anything in the library," Yuka said. "I mean, other than depression."

"Yes, but _why_ is she depressed?" Eri said. "What has she got to be depressed about?"

The three girls thought about that in silence for a moment.

"Maybe we should focus on cheering her up," Ayumi said. "Obviously taking her out didn't work."

"What else can we do?" Eri asked. "WacDonald's always cheers _me_ up." She chomped down on a fry as if to prove her point.

"There's got to be something," Ayumi said softly.

—

He was standing calmly in the middle of her room, looking decidedly blasé about the whole thing.

"Sesshoumaru?" Kagome asked stupidly, her mind whirring frantically to keep up with the complete and utter insanity of the concept of Sesshoumaru standing in her bedroom. "How did you get in here?"

His golden eyes flicked towards her open window briefly before resuming their scrutiny of her bedroom. Kagome suddenly felt a flash of embarrassment over her old, worn pink bed sheets.

"Would you like to take a seat?" Kagome asked stiffly, some part of her mind automatically pulling up the content from one of her mother's many lectures on proper manners.

"I will stand," he said simply, not even sparing her a glance.

"Right," Kagome said dazedly, sinking down to sit on the edge of her bed, her weight causing the mattress to shift slightly knocking her textbooks to the floor. The loud _thud_ broke the heavy silence and made her jump. Sesshoumaru, however, merely raised an eyebrow and gazed impassively down at the books on the floor.

Blushing she gathered the books together and stacked them neatly on the desk, her hands shaking slightly.

"You live here," he said finally, his sudden inclination towards speech startling her and causing her to whirl around in surprise, eyes wide.

"Um… yeah," Kagome said. "Why are you here?"

"It is very… _clean_," Sesshoumaru said tonelessly.

"Err… thanks," Kagome said.

He gave a small, almost absent half-nod, a gesture that she found amusing. She doubted that he'd even been aware of doing it, and she was flattered that he'd become so unguarded in her presence. Of course, the fact that he was there at all was astounding in itself.

"You have lost weight," he said sharply, turning to examine her with the same scrutiny he had paid her bedroom.

She shifted nervously from foot to foot, toying nervously with her nails. "A little, I suppose," she said, surprised that he'd cared enough to notice.

"You will eat full meals regularly," he said imperiously. "You will fulfil social obligations, and complete the work required for your education."

Kagome's gaze snapped to his face, her eyes narrowing slightly in fury, all traces of nervousness and discomfort gone. "_What_?"

"I will not repeat myself," he said snootily, an expression of aristocratic aloofness adorning his face.

"Who do you think you _are_?" Kagome hissed. "You can't order me around!"

He took a step forward, and she felt the brush of his power against her skin and she inhaled sharply. It was enough to check her fury and remind her exactly _who _she was dealing with.

When he spoke, his voice was soft and low, but to her that seemed infinitely more threatening than any amount of yelling he could have done. "I have the ability to make you comply," he said simply.

"Why would you bother?" She asked waspishly, not quite cowed enough to inquire politely.

"I have an obligation to face the consequences of my actions," he said, his voice loosing the hard, threatening edge he'd used to threaten her with.

"The consequences…?" Kagome repeated softly.

He nodded stiffly. "Our association has come to an end," he said flatly. "It has already continued too long. You _will_ eat. You _will _complete your schooling, and fulfil any other obligations that are required of you, and you will not go looking for me."

"You can't just leave!" she cried out, surprising even herself with the desperation in her voice.

He frowned, his brows drawing together slightly. "You cannot tell this Sesshoumaru what he can and cannot do."

"But what am _I _supposed to do?" she said, reaching out as if to grab the edge of his _haori_, but thinking better of it at the last minute, letting her arm fall limply to her side. "I can't go on like this."

His lips down turned slightly. "Are you ill?" he snapped.

"No," she replied. "At least, I don't think so."

"Then you must simply continue," he replied. "Is it truly that difficult for you to simply do what is expected of you?"

"It's not that simple," she insisted.

"It _is_ that simple," he replied sharply. "Your place is here. I do not belong here. We go our separate ways. You must simply accept that and move on."

It was true, she thought suddenly, that he didn't belong here. The sheer dichotomy of his presence, so alien and unearthly, amidst all her worldly possessions was staggering. Outside, backed by trees, his sheer difference was not nearly so apparent as it was here.

Yet, the very thought of never seeing him again filled her with such dread that she was willing to do nearly anything to keep him with her.

"I can't," she said truthfully. "I don't know how."

An expression of bemusement and irritation flashed across his face. "I do not understand," he said softly, almost as if he were speaking to himself.

Kagome snorted. "Welcome to my world."

He gave her an odd, indecipherable look. "I have understood nothing about you since the day when you first attempted to assist me," he said flatly. "You are a most perplexing creature."

She wasn't sure if she liked being described as a creature, but she grinned nevertheless. "Everyone's got to have a hobby," she said facetiously.

He snorted, and she could have sworn she saw the edge of his lip twitch slightly. Her grin widened.

"Your mood fluctuates as frequently as a pregnant woman's," he remarked mildly.

Kagome turned beet red and gasped. "_What_?" she asked incredulously, irritation and embarrassment rising quickly. "What did you just say about me?"

"You are merely serving to prove my point," he remarked drily, but his golden eyes seemed to almost be dancing with amusement.

_No_, she thought dazedly. _It's not possible. _"Did you just… make fun of me?" she asked slowly.

"'A graceful taunt is worth a thousand insults,'" he replied enigmatically.

She blinked slowly. _Oookay. Definitely weird._

"The fact remains," he said, becoming serious once more. _Now whose mood is fluctuating frequently,_ Kagome thought spitefully. "That this cannot continue."

"Why not?" she asked softly.

"You are being irrational," he said flatly. "We stand to gain nothing from this arrangement. It has become detrimental to both of us, and there is no reason to continue."

"How has it been detrimental to you?" Kagome asked pointedly. "You can't expect me to believe you've lost sleep over this."

He didn't answer.

She sighed. "Fine. I can't stop you from leaving, I suppose. But you can't force me to go on as if nothing has happened either."

He scowled. "What do you require then to end this amicably?"

"I don't know," she replied softly. "I don't know what I want anymore."

He raised one eyebrow and said scathingly, "I hardly have the time nor patience to deal with your existential crises."

"I didn't ask you to!" she snapped at him, tears stinging the corners of her eyes and threatening to overflow. Suddenly lacking the energy to stand she sank to the floor, leaning against the side of her bed and bringing her knees to her chest, resting her chin atop them.

"You are crying," he said flatly from somewhere above her head.

"Sorry," she muttered sullenly. "I can't help it."

"Hn," he said ambiguously, and he started moving around her room silently, quietly opening drawers.

"What are you looking for?" she asked, snivelling and wiping the tears away from her face.

He stood up, closing her dresser drawer and looked down his nose at her. "You have no handkerchiefs," he said.

Unable to help herself, she giggled. "I don't think anyone does anymore," she said softly. "It doesn't matter anyway."

"You have finished crying." It was more of a statement than a question, really, but Kagome answered anyway.

"Yes," she said, wiping her eyes with her palms, and grabbing a kleenex from her desk.

"I dislike crying," he said slowly.

She giggled helplessly. "I'll try not to cry on you again," she said.

"Good," he said. She had the ominous feeling that he would actually hold her to that.

They fell into a comfortable silence, as Kagome fiddled with the kleenex. "It's late," she said finally. "I should get some sleep."

"Hn," he said by way of agreement.

"Would you — Would you stay?" she asked hesitantly.

His eyes widened in surprise, and his eyebrows raised. She blushed. "Not like that," she mumbled. "I just meant, would you stay nearby while I fall asleep? I feel better when you're around."

"That is not the general reaction to someone such as myself," he pointed out.

"I think we've established that I'm anything but normal," she replied softly. "So, will you stay?"

"I will be nearby," he replied. She nodded sleepily and smiled.

"Thank-you," she said softly. She received no audible reply from the _taiyoukai_, but then again, she hadn't really expected one.

--

**Author's Note**: Just a final note: if you have comments/feedback regarding the characterisation of Eri, Yuka and Ayumi, I'd love to hear it. Do you think they're too loony? They should be more involved in the story? Less involved? Are they jumping to too many conclusions? Same goes for Sesshoumaru and Kagome -- if you have complaints or criticisms regarding their characterisations, I'd love to hear them. I can only learn by having my mistakes pointed out to me, so the more you nitpick, the better I get (in theory XD). =)

I'd love to hear what you think.


	8. Entification

—

_**Part VIII: Entification**_

—

見ぬが花

_Minu ga hana._

_Not seeing is a flower._

Japanese Proverb

—

When Kagome had returned from brushing her teeth and changing into pyjamas Sesshoumaru was gone, and her window was closed. She hadn't really expected him to remain in her room, but that did little to stop the rush of disappointment she felt at his absence. She padded barefoot over to her window and flung it open, resting her arms on the sill and leaning out, breathing in the still night air.

He was perched in a tree, his white form stark against the darkness of the night. Not just any tree, mind, but the _Goshinboku_. Kagome grinned and waved at him. Though she couldn't see his expression clearly from where she stood, she knew he'd raised an eyebrow in reply.

"Will you be alright in the tree?" she asked softly, hoping her voice would carry. "It can't be very comfortable."

He didn't reply, nor did he move, but she felt his gaze on her and she shivered.

"I'll leave the window open," she said, slightly louder. "If you get sick of sitting in a tree you can come in."

"Goodnight," she said, pulling herself away from the window and crawling into bed, pulling her pillow to her chest and curling around it, thinking of the silent demon outside her window.

—

When she awoke the window was closed. She walked to the window and looked out at the _Goshinboku_ anyway, knowing that he had already left. He had vanished, as he always did, leaving no trace on her life of his presence, save the persistent effect he had on her thoughts.

She turned and pulled out her school uniform, mechanically going through the actions of preparing for the day.

The moment she stepped outside, closing the door behind her and murmuring a good-bye to her mother, she knew something was wrong. Immediately the hair on the back of her neck began to stand on end, and her skin began to tingle with the feeling of _youkai_. She frowned, looking around the quiet courtyard.

She gave a strangled gasp and jumped when Souta opened the door behind her.

"Are you okay, Sis?" he asked, frowning. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"I'm fine," she replied, her hand resting over her frantically beating heart. "You just startled me, that's all."

Souta gave her a searching look. She'd been on the receiving end of quite a few searching looks for Souta of late. She suspected that he didn't approve of her association of Sesshouaru in the least, but he'd been quiet about it, and had kept her secret, so she supposed she ought not to complain.

"C'mon," he said finally. "We're going to be late."

"Yeah," she replied absently, glancing around the courtyard once more.

The feeling didn't subside as they walked to school. She could feel a tingle between her shoulder blades, as if someone were staring at her, but she couldn't spot anything out of the ordinary. The feeling of _youkai_ was becoming overwhelming; she could feel it pushing on her senses and her mind, threatening to smother her.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Souta asked, grabbing her forearm. "You look a bit sick."

"Yeah," she said, shaking slightly from overwhelming sense of demon. _Run_, her instincts told her frantically. "I'm not feeling well."

"I'll take you home," Souta said immediately.

"No," she snapped, surprising both of them. "No," she repeated more softly. "You'll be late for school. It's not far. I'll be fine."

"Are you _sure_?" Souta asked. "You really don't look good. I think I should walk you home."

"I'm fine," she replied, wincing as another wave of _youkai _washed over her, making her sway dizzily.

"You're not fine," Souta replied. "You look like you're going to collapse." He slipped an arm under her shoulder and pulled her body towards his own, taking on some of her weight. "I'm walking you home."

She mumbled half-heartedly in protest, but surrendered to him anyway.

"Are you going to puke?" Souta asked. "'Cuz if you are, I'm gonna need some kind of a warning."

"No," she mumbled. "Just feel dizzy."

"What did you have for breakfast?" he asked, adjusting his grip on her.

"Didn't have breakfast," she mumbled in reply.

He frowned. "You gotta eat Kagome. This is what happens when you don't eat."

"It's not that," she said softly. "Something's following us."

Souta stopped, standing ramrod straight. "Is it him?" he asked quietly.

"I don't know," she replied. "I don't think so. It never felt like this with him."

An odd expression flickered across Souta's face. "Err…" he said. "With him?" he asked squeakily.

"His _youkai_ was never so overwhelming," she replied. "Not even when he changed."

"Oh," Souta replied, sounding strangely relieved. "Right. His _youkai_. Is that what you're sensing now?"

She nodded.

"From where?" he asked, glancing around nervously, suddenly acutely aware of just how empty the streets were. _Was it always this quiet at this time in the morning?_

"Everywhere," she mumbled, raising her hand to her temple and wincing.

"Great," Souta said flatly, pulling her close to him and beginning to walk again, dragging her along with him. "We're almost home," he said unnecessarily. "It'll be okay. The sutras on the door should hold."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that," said a loud voice from behind them.

Kagome looked up, eyes wide as Souta turned to stand protectively in front of her.

"What do you want?" he asked, his voice shaking slightly despite his brave words.

The demon stepped forward, his sharp blue eyes focused on Kagome, claws and fangs glinting in the morning light. He moved quickly, with surprising grace, his brown tail flicking sharply behind him.

"I had wondered what it was about you that he was interested in," the demon said, clearly addressing Kagome. "I had no idea that the dog had found himself a _miko_."

Both Souta and Kagome frowned. "What?" Kagome asked shakily. "What are you talking about?"

"You," he replied.

"Me?" she echoed. "I think you're mistaken. I'm not a _miko_."

"Err… Sis?" Souta muttered hesitantly. "Are you sure you want to _tell_ him that?"

The wolf demon burst out laughing. "Even better! An untrained _miko_. I wonder what he wants with you?" He frowned. "Oh, well, no matter. Whatever it is, he's not going to get it."

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked nervously, backing up slowly, pulling Souta with her.

"It _is_ unfortunate," the demon continued, raising his claws and examining them lazily. "That the dog has taken his eyes off his pet." He grinned, fully displaying his sharp, white fangs. "It's a mistake he won't make again, I'm sure, after he finds your mangled corpse."

Kagome screamed and started running, pulling Souta with her as the wolf demon exploded into motion, springing after her with deadly grace.

She pulled back, crashing into Souta and sending them both tumbling to the ground, as he landed in front of her and swung his claws forward, grazing her arm. Slowly he licked her blood off his claws, grinning. "Mmm…" he said slowly "_Miko_."

She skittered backwards, scrambling to stand and move away from him simultaneously, but he was much faster than her. He was standing above her before she'd even registered his movement, blocking the light.

Reacting out of fear and instinct she reached up and gave him a hard shove, gasping in shock as she felt a surge of power move through her, and a pink light send him flying backwards. Making good use of the time she'd gained, she grabbed Souta by the hand and started running frantically towards home.

"Bitch!" she heard him scream behind her, and she felt him moving towards her. Suddenly she caught a glimpse of white in her peripheral vision, and she whirled around only to come face-to-face with the back of Sesshoumaru's head.

"Return home," he said imperiously, sparing her barely a glance before turning his full attention to the wolf.

The wolf grinned, placing his hands on his hips. "Well if it isn't dog-breath himself," he said. "Come to the valiant rescue of your pet human, Sesshoumaru?"

"She is not your concern," he replied icily. He raised his arm holding two fingers up. "Die now." Then, to Kagome's immense surprise, a green whip shot out of his hand and scorched the ground where the wolf had been standing barely seconds ago.

Souta pulled at her hand. "C'mon," he said, dragging her along behind him. "We need to go."

She watched as Sesshoumaru fought the wolf _youkai_, the two of them moving so quickly that her eyes could barely follow, his whips leaving scorch marks in the sidewalk. Souta gave a firm tug on her wrist and she stumbled backwards, and, tearing herself away from the conflict she followed him, running blindly back towards the house.

They had only just stumbled into the courtyard breathlessly when Sesshoumaru appeared in front of them.

"We will leave now," he said flatly, without any trace of preamble.

"What?" Kagome asked stupidly.

He turned his gaze to Souta. "Boy," he said, "you will return to the house. You will remain there for today. You may return to your schooling tomorrow."

"What do you mean _leave_?" Souta asked boldly. "Where are you taking Kagome?"

"This place is inadequate for her protection," he replied.

"I can't leave!" Kagome said suddenly. "What makes you think I need protection anyway?"

He gave her a pointed glance.

"Yeah, but you got rid of him, didn't you?" she asked.

Sesshoumaru scowled darkly. "He escaped."

"Oh," Kagome said softly. "But what if he comes back here looking for me? My family —"

"Is of no concern to him. He will know immediately that you are no longer here, and will turn his search elsewhere," Sesshoumaru said flatly. "However, that will not be the case if we remain standing here. We will leave now."

"But what about clothes? And what about Mama?"

He scowled, clearly weighing his options. "You may pack a bag."

"Quickly," he added with a glare.

She nodded, moving towards the house dazedly, feeling a strange sense of detachment from reality. She ignored her mother's shocked exclamations as she and Souta entered the house and bounded up the stairs two at a time. She dumped out her yellow backpack onto her floor and began to frantically stuff it full of clothes, underwear, hygiene products and other necessities.

She could hear the faint voices of Souta and her mother drifting up from downstairs.

With shaking hands she pulled the drawstring on her bag tight and clipped the top flap down. She descended the stairs at a more sedate pace, stopping for a moment at the living room door.

"Well I'd better go see to her if she's not feeling well," her mother was saying.

"I think she'd like to be left alone," she heard Souta reply. "You can check on her at lunch."

Silently she crept into the kitchen and grabbed the message pad and pen that were laying by the phone, scribbling a short, and entirely insufficient note. Quietly she slipped out the back door, returning to the courtyard where he stood waiting.

He gave her a cursory glance before nodding and extending his arm. Slowly she reached forward, placing her smaller hand in his. He pulled her towards him abruptly, releasing her hand and pinning her to his chest with his arm. She felt his _youkai _rise, and she glanced down, watching the cloud form beneath their feet.

"Where are we going?" she asked softly.

"To my home," he replied shortly, his voice rumbling deeply in his chest.

She watched the city pass beneath them, watching people, as small as ants, go about their daily lives. Lives she was no longer a part of. She decided she'd seen enough of the city, and turned her face into his chest, closing her eyes and blinking back tears.

"This arrangement is not permanent," he said. "You will return home."

The words didn't seem quite as comforting as they should have been.


	9. Wandering

**Author's Note: **To those of you who guessed that the wolf from the previous chapter was Kouga, have an e-cookie. You are indeed correct, that _was_ Kouga, and we shall be seeing more of him in chapters to come.

However, to those of you who may have been a touch concerned about Kouga being cast in a bad light: remember that Kouga hasn't yet met Kagome, really. It wasn't until after he decided he was infatuated with Kagome that he began to do things like no longer eat people. He's not a mindless jerk, either. Kouga is a very powerful youkai, and would thus be very interested in the doings of other very powerful youkai (imho, anyway).

Also, I apologise for beginning with one of the most over-used quotes in existence, but I felt it suited the chapter.

Oh, and I've switched to using 'daiyoukai' in this chapter — I intend to go back at some point and re-edit previous chapters to make them all 'daiyoukai' as well, as a little bird recently told me that 'taiyoukai' apparently means 'fish-youkai'.

Sesshoumaru-sama was not impressed. :P

—

_**Part IX: Wandering**_

—

_Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—_

_I took the one less travelled by,_

_And that has made all the difference._

_-_ Robert Frost, _The Road Not Taken _

—

She was sleeping. In the blissful release of sleep she remained unaware of the root which was currently digging into her side, nor the uncomfortable feeling of dirt and pebbles stuck to her cheek. Unfortunately for her, her travelling companion did not understand the blissful qualities of sleep, and chose that particular moment to try and wake her up.

Sesshoumaru was not widely renowned for being a kind demon. In fact, you'd be extremely hard pressed to find someone who would describe the stoic, and often distant and inscrutable, _daiyoukai_ as 'kind'. Really, the only person who was remotely likely to describe him as such was about to get a rather abrupt wake up call.

"Wake," he said imperiously, frowning as the girl merely frowned and drew her legs in closer to her chest, curling up in a foetal position.

"Wake," he ordered again, nudging her with the toe of his boot.

"Don' wanna," mumbled the still half-asleep Kagome, rolling over to snuggle in further to her warm bed sheets, only to discover that there were none. _That's odd_, her brain thought sleepily. It took approximately a minute for the full meaning of the lack of bed sheets (and the feeling of a dirty great root sticking into her side) to penetrate.

She sat up with a start, swaying slightly, and glanced up at the silent _daiyoukai_ who stood impassively above her, blocking out the light from the early morning sun.

"Wha's happening?" she slurred sleepily.

"We are leaving. Get up." He continued to stand there obnoxiously, showing no signs of moving any time soon.

Kagome rubbed her hands over her face, massaging her left cheek, surprised to find the indentation of several pebbles there. "You could have at least given me a pillow," she muttered mutinously.

"You had not thought to pack one," he said flatly.

Two distinct thoughts travelled through her mind simultaneously, each fighting for dominance. In the end, it was indignation that won. "You went through my bag!" she screeched, barely resisting the urge to grin in satisfaction when something like a wince flickered across his face.

"You have already stated that you wished for a pillow," he said slowly. "Since I knew that I did not have one, since I have no need of such trivial things, I had thought it prudent to assume that you would see to your own needs." He paused. "Obviously," he added meaningfully, "I was mistaken."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked with a scowl, massaging her side where the root had left a large bruise. "Where are we anyway?" she wondered aloud. "I thought we were going to your home."

He ignored her question in favour of ordering her around. "Up," he said.

She glared at him, but rose to her feet stiffly, and gasped when he pulled her abruptly towards him and sped upwards into the sky.

As much as she was completely infuriated with him at the moment, she couldn't help but cling to his shoulder desperately, not wanting to look down and she the ground far beneath them.

"Sesshoumaru?" she asked nervously after a moment, all traces of anger gone from her voice in favour of a nervous tremble. "Where are we going?"

"You are repeating yourself," he said flatly. "I have already answered that question."

"Your home?" she guessed, satisfied when he didn't reply, assuming, correctly, that he would have insulted her had she been wrong. "How far away do you live?"

"Far," he said simply.

She snorted into his shoulder. "Thanks," she said drily. "That's helpful."

Once again the pair fell into an easy silence, and Kagome tucked her head into his shoulder, once again staring at his _haori_ so that she wouldn't have to look down.

—

It wasn't until lunchtime that Kagome realised she was starving. The idea of flying had made her so nervous that she'd barely registered the gnawing feeling in her stomach. But as soon as she'd recognised it for what it was, she became utterly incapable of ignoring it.

"Sesshoumaru?" she questioned hesitantly. "I'm hungry."

He didn't reply, his gaze focused entirely on the land below. "Really hungry," she added for emphasis. "Like, haven't eaten since breakfast yesterday hungry." She frowned. "I haven't eaten since breakfast yesterday!" she shouted. "You didn't feed me!"

"You are not self-sufficient?" he asked scathingly, turning to glare down at her. If she hadn't been nearly as frustrated by his insinuation, she would have giggled. His glare was not nearly so menacing when she was practically looking up his nose.

"We didn't stop for lunch yesterday," she said, arguing and musing aloud at the same time. "And I don't remember stopping for the night either, so I must have fallen asleep." She frowned, glancing up at his face. She could see the elegant curve of his jaw, and the profile of his face, and she was suddenly acutely aware of how close she was standing to him.

Her body was pressed flush up against his own, and was pinned there by the hand that remained firmly wrapped around her waist. Her head had been laying just inches away from his neck, which lead up to a well defined jaw line and beautifully pointed ears.

In her mind's eye she remembered running her fingers along the markings on his face, and remembered the warmth she'd felt beneath them. She clenched her hands, resisting the temptation to do it again. His skin had been so soft…

As if aware of her thoughts, he turned suddenly to look at her. "Yes," he said, frowning slightly.

"What?" she asked, bemused. "Yes, what?"

"You fell asleep," he said at length.

She frowned, trying to remember what she'd been talking about before she'd become so utterly distracted by him. _Food_, a small, very hungry part of her mind supplied.

"I'm hungry," she said again.

"Do you repeat yourself under stress?" he sneered.

"Hey!" She briefly entertained the idea of whacking him on the shoulder, as she would have done with Souta, but wisely thought better of it.

_Souta._ "Do you really think they'll leave them alone?" she asked, wondering what her mother and father were doing now. _Probably panicking_, she thought sadly. _All because of me._

"You are their target," he replied. "You are no longer there."

"Why are they after me at all?" she asked softly.

"You are associating with a demon," he said flatly. "It is… unusual."

"Oh," she said, laying her head back down on his shoulder, revelling in the warmth his body provided. "Sesshoumaru?" she asked again. "What did that wolf demon mean when he said I was a _miko_?"

He didn't answer, focusing intently instead on the ground beneath them. She let out a sudden squeak of alarm as they landed and her feet touched ground. "We're here?" she asked, looking around with wide eyes.

They were standing in the middle of a farmer's field, rows and rows of well-maintained land stretched almost as far as she could see.

He snorted. "Eat if you are hungry," he said.

She turned her wide-eyed gaze to him. "But that's stealing!" she hissed, unsure of why she was whispering, as there was clearly no one around to overhear.

"Unless you have food in that bag of yours," he said in a way that conveyed the fact that he clearly doubted it, "this will have do. Unless you'd prefer to starve."

She looked at the fields, worrying her bottom lip. This was someone's livelihood.

When she was five she'd stolen a packet of candy from the corner store where her mum had been grocery shopping. Her mother, of course, had found it when they'd arrived home, and marched Kagome right back to the store and made her apologise for taking it, and watch as she repaid them for it.

It was a lesson that had stuck with her.

"This," her mother had said, holding up the stolen bubble gum, "is someone's livelihood. They money they make from this helps them pay for their groceries."

And now she was being asked to steal. Granted, she was already consorting with a demon, a crime that, in most people's eyes, was far, far worse. But to her, stealing was the greater sin.

She was about to turn to him and tell him that she'd rather starve when he moved. Her mind barely registered the streak of white before he stood before her, _daikon, _satsumas and tomatoes in his hands.

"I —"

"Eat," he said, cutting her off. "I have no desire to see you starve."

With trembling hands she grabbed the fruit, feeling dirty, as she slowly peeled one of the satsumas. "There must be some way we can repay them," she said softly.

"They will not notice its absence," he said flatly. "A certain amount of fruit is lost to bad weather and animals. Any good farmer plans for that contingency."

He looked down at her in mild exasperation. "Look at the size of these fields," he said. "The food in your hands is no great loss to them."

It didn't make her feel any less guilty, but she ate anyway, far too hungry to resist.

He perched on top of a fence pole and gazed lazily out across the fields while she ate. "You never answered my question," she said softly, taking a bite out of one of the tomatoes.

"I would have thought," he said, not even sparing her a glance. "That the answer was obvious."

She frowned. "Well it may be to you, but you'll have to excuse me if my slow human brain can't keep up. What did he mean?"

"He meant exactly what he said, _miko_," Sesshoumaru replied, turning to look at her.

"I'm not —"

"You attempted to purify the wolf," he replied flatly. "Though you are untrained, so it was ineffective."

"What?"

He frowned. "How did you think you were able to repel him?"

"I don't know," she replied tiredly. "I just did. I wasn't really thinking about it."

"You are unaware of your powers?" he said, suddenly looking at her very intently. He jumped down gracefully from the fence post, and strode up to where she was sitting, crouching down in front of her and leaning in. She could feel his breath ghosting over her face, as his golden eyes gazed steadily into her own.

"S-Sesshoumaru?" she questioned nervously, inching back slightly.

"Curious," he said simply, before standing abruptly, turning and walking away, leaving her feeling shaken and strangely empty.

_What was _that_? _she wondered frantically.

"Come," he ordered, standing with his arm outstretched as if nothing out of the ordinary had just happened.

She tucked the remaining satsumas and the _daikon_ into her bag, and rose on shaky legs, making her way over to him slowly. As soon as she was within reach, however, he grabbed her and unceremoniously pulled her to him and took off all in one smooth movement.

"I really hate it when you do that," she muttered, and she tried to ignore the amused snort she got in return.


	10. Understanding

—

**_Part X: Understanding_**

_—_

_"Home is not where you live, but where they understand you."_

- Christian Morganstern

—

"What does it mean?" she asked softly, cradled against his warm body to try and stave off some of the biting, cold air. He made no move to comfort her -- his hand remained in its customary position around her waist, pinning her firmly to him and digging painfully into her ribs. Still, there was something oddly intimate about the position. It was likely that she was the first human ever to have been this close to a demon – an unsettling thought – and it was deeply odd to think that she found the warmth of his body comforting.

"Hn?" he questioned indiscriminately.

"You said I was a _miko_. What does it mean?"

"You live in a shrine, do you not?" he replied caustically.

"That's not –" She sighed in frustration. "I meant, what does it mean to you? Does the fact that I'm a _miko_ have something to do with why you're protecting me?"

After all – if his interest in her had been marked by even the demon community, surely his part in all this was considered just as odd as her own? It didn't make any sense. What possible interest could he have in her?

She couldn't help wondering what he thought of her. After all, the oddity of their relationship went both ways. It was obvious that he was showing her an unusual degree of kindness and protection by taking her with him to his home. Demons didn't associate with humans any more than humans associated with demons. It was an unwritten, but firmly abided rule.

She'd never really considered it before, but he was likely as ostracised as she was, in his own way. What he was doing was no less odd, and it was clear from the wolf demon's attack that it had been noticed. So why had he remained? Why was he taking her away now?

Something the wolf demon said tugged at her memory.

_I had wondered what it was about you that he was interested in… I had no idea that the dog had found himself a miko. _

She shivered as she recalled the way he'd towered over her, claws glinting in the sunlight. But why would her supposed _miko_ abilities have made any sort of difference? He'd seemed surprised that she'd reacted on instinct when the wolf demon had attacked. He too, seemed utterly convinced that she was a _miko_.

_Well, he's right — you _do _live in a shrine_, her mind supplied. She shook her head to clear the thoughts from her mind. _But there hasn't been a real miko for centuries_, she thought. _I _can't _be one_.

But how did that explain her ability to fend off the wolf demon? And Sesshoumaru's interest in her?

What did she mean to him? Why was he bothering? She wanted badly to ask, but she couldn't quite bring herself to.

"That's what the wolf demon said," she added suddenly, babbling nervously. "I couldn't figure out what he meant by it. He said that's what made you interested in me."

"Your abilities are curious," he stated vaguely, much to Kagome's frustration.

"And?" she prompted angrily. "I think I deserve _some_ answers. Obviously this affects me too."

"As I recall," he said acidly, "it was not my decision to continue this… _association._"

The way he said it made it sound like they were engaging in something sordid. She scowled furiously. Why was he always so insufferable to deal with? To think, she'd once deemed him so distant and powerful that she was almost too afraid to speak to him at all — now he was merely an abrasive nuisance. The power she'd feared was still there, and she hadn't forgotten, but there was an undeniable shift in their relationship. She was running off to go live with him, after all.

That thought made her freeze, the events of the previous couple days catching up to her in one horrible swell. _What have I done? _she thought frantically, her stomach churning.

"But it was you that nearly get me and Souta killed," she said without thinking. "It was you that took me away from my home and my family. It's because of you that I might not see them again!"

The dam on her pent-up emotions finally gave, and her eyes welled with tears. She was dimly aware of Sesshoumaru shifting away from her slightly, his muscles tense.

"You lied," he said flatly from somewhere up above her head.

"You bastard!" she spat, surprising even herself. She briefly noted that his eyes had widened slightly in shock, likely the biggest reaction she had ever elicited from him, but she carried on angrily anyway. She wasn't really sure where all the anger had come from, but the combined shock of being attacked and being separated from her family for the first time seemed to have finally caught up with her, and this seemed to be the way it was determined to come out.

_"How dare you_?" she demanded furiously. "I have never lied to you! I've been completely honest with you all along. I _trusted_ you. But I'm not stupid enough to think that you didn't know that the wolf might come after me. You never told me that I was in danger. That my _family_ was in danger! I had a _right _to know!"

Her chest was heaving with the exertion of her tirade, and the tears in her eyes had begun to overflow, running down her cheeks and tracing burning paths along her skin.

"You said you would not cry in front of this Sesshoumaru," he clarified belatedly.

She stared at him blankly for a moment before giving a choked laugh and wiping her tears away with the back of her hand. "Sorry," she muttered, suddenly feeling rather stupid for having yelled at him in the first place.

"I had assumed that I would deal with any complications that might arise from our association before they could affect you." He was pointedly avoiding her gaze, looking instead at the tops of trees that stretched seemingly infinitely before them. "Obviously," he added flatly, "I underestimated the extensiveness of the problem."

She almost snorted. "Why didn't you tell me?" she asked softly, her anger dissipating as quickly as it had come.

"It is my responsibility," he stated gruffly.

"I had a right to know," she replied firmly. "This effects both of us, and as you can clearly see you can't always deal with things on your own."

He scowled impressively, but she cut him off before he could speak. "My family was at risk, and if I'd known — if you'd _told _me, I might have acted differently."

"They are important to you?" he asked in a tone that sounded casual, but to Kagome's ear was filled with hidden implications.

"Of course," she replied swiftly. "They're my family. I love them very much."

"Hn," he replied enigmatically, if a tad unsatisfactorily.

She sighed, not quite emboldened enough to push the topic. But she couldn't help wondering what had prompted that particular line of questioning. He'd almost acted as if the concept of family was foreign to him.

_That_ was something she'd never given thought to. Presumably he had parents somewhere… but did he have siblings? Family reunions? Upteen uncles and aunts and distant relations?

The very idea seemed bizarre — yet it was possible. But even if he did, from the way he'd just acted she sincerely doubted that he had a close relationship with any of them.

She felt a sudden flash of pity for him as the implications of that hit her. _He was alone_.

Despite everything, Kagome had never truly been alone before. She'd felt lonely, certainly, and misunderstood, but she'd always known that her family loved her, and never felt that they would truly turn her away.

Of course, in a way it was pity that had got her into this whole mess in the first place. She'd been unable to turn away from anyone who was injured, not even a demon.

"I want to help you," she said decisively. "I'm not entirely incapable of defending myself, and we're in this together, so I think we should work together."

Though his expression barely altered she got the feeling that he was incredulous. "I was unaware that you knew how to wield a sword," he said drily.

"I can't," she admitted. "But I am, apparently, a _miko_ so I'll just use my _miko_ powers on anything that tries to hurt us."

He huffed in amusement. "That will not be necessary."

"You never know!" she argued. "That wolf might come looking for us."

At the mention of the wolf demon, Sesshoumaru's brows drew together in a dark scowl. "Should he be foolish enough to return," he said quietly, his tone promising a painful death to the one about which it spoke, "he will regret it."

His warning reminded Kagome exactly who she was dealing with, and she dropped the argumentative tone. Despite the fact that she knew him better than any human alive, it was probably best not to provoke him.

How easy it was becoming to forget that he could kill her in an instant. It was odd; when she spoke to him it felt just like speaking to anyone else — provided that they were generally unhelpful and the personified antonym to loquacity. Even so, everything she'd ever been taught to believe about demons had told her that they had no common ground.

So why then did she find a single conversation with him far more effortless than dealing with her friends from school?

Thinking about Eri, Ayumi and Yuka made her uncomfortable. They were always trying to include her in things, and were so kind to her, and she had absolutely no interest. She couldn't even really remember how they'd become friends in the first place. Nevertheless, she hated subjecting them to her apathy; it made her feel guilty.

"How much further is it?" she asked, breaking the lull in the conversation and suppressing a sudden snigger at the mental image of herself asking 'are we there yet?' over and over again to Sesshoumaru's increasing annoyance. As much fun as it would be, it would probably be best not to irritate him.

"We have arrived," he said, landing gently on the ground and releasing his hold on her. She blinked, still standing close by his side as she looked up at the house before her.

'House' was too small a word for the expansive building she now stood in front of. It was almost ludicrous in that it stood alone amidst the vast expanse of the surrounding forest. He lived in a mansion. A mansion in the middle of _nowhere_.

He was so _eccentric. _

"You live… here?" she asked in stupefaction.

He brushed passed her wordlessly, heading towards the entrance to the expansive home, without turning to make sure she was following. Slowly she willed her feet to move, following him up to the front entrance, and passing through the open doorway.

It was old-fashioned, and sparsely decorated. It also seemed unused. The hallway was covered in dust, and it muffled the sound and thickened the air.

"It's… nice," she said hesitantly, looking around the dark, almost gloomy room in surprise.

"It is not often used," he remarked drily, moving to turn on the lamps. The light illuminated the dust particles he'd stirred, and she watched them dance wildly through the air.

"I hadn't noticed," she said mildly, holding back the urge to sneeze.

"It will suit our purposes," he said flatly, striding confidently through a door on the left hand side, turning on lights and lighting lamps as he went.

She followed silently, her eyes beginning to itch from the high concentration of dust in the air. She rubbed them, an action that only served to make her eyes even more itchy. She blinked, her dry eyes already growing sore, and the dust making the air thick and difficult to breathe.

"Sesshoumaru?" she began, but broke off with a cough.

He slid open a doorway, revealing a dusty, but organised guest room behind. "You may stay here," he said tonelessly, striding through the room and opening the window. "Regrettably, you will probably have to clean. You may join me for dinner in three hours." Without any further comment he strode from the room.

She glared at his retreating back, fighting back the urge to stick her tongue out childishly. It was just so typically _male_ of him to have dumped her here and expect her to clean it. She scowled, sneezing furiously.

"Jerk," she muttered under her breath, as she went about removing sheets from the bed to be aired out, and beginning the long hunt for cleaning supplies.

She felt a sudden wash of homesickness, and a longing for her mother's almost hospital-standard cleanliness, and all the comfort it provided.

As the day grew long, and the exhaustion from travelling began to finally set in, all Kagome could think was _what have I done_?

—

**Author's Note:** In all honestly, I hate this chapter so much. That's a large contributing factor to why it's taken me so long to get this blasted thing out. I don't know what it was about this, but it fought me tooth and nail all the way. So, I apologise both for the delay and the unsatisfactory nature of the content herein - I sincerely hope the next chapter co-operates.

That said, any feedback you might have about this chapter (why it was crap, and anything you think could be improved), would be much appreciated. I value your responses deeply, and any constructive criticism helps me improve as an author.

Sincere thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far — and thanks for your patience to anyone who's still reading.


End file.
